Danger In The Thought
by NovaCaine9923
Summary: A vacation at a grand resort owned by the DeNile's estranged brother becomes a battle with ghosts of the present and past. The fifth story in my series.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: A vacation at a grand resort becomes a battle with ghosts of present and past. The sixth story in my series.

Danger In The Thought

A Monster High fanfiction by Nova Caine

 **As you will notice, there are no suggested tracks for this story. I have no excuse for this other than the fact that I ran out of songs to use. So, my apologies if you were enjoying that.**

 **On to the story!**

" _Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."_

 _-Albert Einstein_

 _Prologue:_

Silence.

Silence and darkness, that was all there was. Just an empty void, and yet a comfortable one. The bliss of being of being nowhere and knowing nothing was a lovely one. Alas, consciousness and awareness had to sink in, and the sound of someone calling dissolved the lovely heaven.

"Valentine? Valentine, are you awake, dear?"

Valentine's eyes adjusted to the light, and he tried to move. He stopped when soreness seized his ribs, and he groaned out in pain. His mother's cool hand touched his forehead, soothing him somewhat.

"I'm right here, my love," she said softly, helping him sit up. "I'll stay right here with you, don't worry."

His teeth were sticky and his mouth was dry, but that didn't stop him from trying to speak. "Where am I?" he croaked out quietly, leaning into his mother's shoulder lazily.

"You're at the hospital, dear," she explained, and the memories came flooding back. The unspeakable agony and fear, the fact that he'd screamed probably more than he ever had in his life that night. These thoughts scared him so much that he pressed his face into his mother's neck, wishing to return to his peaceful void. "There, there, darling," she whispered as she comforted him. "You're all right, now," she pulled away, stroking his cheek and giving him a reassuring smile. "Everything went smoothly, and you had a beautiful baby girl."

"The baby came too early," Valentine murmured, looking away. "I was only four months."

Vampira chewed on her lip, nodding understandingly. "I know. She's okay; though she needs to be in an incubator for…I don't even know how long. She's a sweet, sweet little thing- do you want her?"

Valentine looked up. "What?"

"Do you want the baby?"

He thought about this. Did he want something he'd resented ever since he saw that little pink cross on the pregnancy test? He'd felt absolutely no emotional attachment to that parasite, especially when she moved for the first time and scared the daylights out of him. Valentine didn't feel prepared, yet for some odd reason, the word 'no' was not uttered. He kept completely silent, and Vampira rubbed his back.

"I'll let you think about it. We can let aunt Sonata take care of her, you know,"

Valentine did not say a word. There was a pause, and Vampira kissed his cheek.

"I won't be long, you get some rest," and with that, she was gone.

He rolled over in the bed, sighing. Why did this happen? Jared had never gotten a proper punishment for what he did. A train ended his life, but the death had been quick and painless. He died before he could get what probably would've been a life sentence, and yet, by getting impregnated by him, Valentine felt as though he was the one serving the life sentence. His child, whether he chose to care for her or not, would be a constant reminder of what happened to him. It would be a life sentence for both of them, and it wasn't fair.

Something twitched inside Valentine, and he froze. He tried to tell himself it was just his imagination, that the baby was out and nothing could've moved. And yet, he felt it again.

"No," he slid his hand down to his stomach, keeping it there and feeling more movement. Something was definitely in there. "Oh, God, please, don't let there be another one!"

A spasm of pain flashed through him, and he cried out. It wasn't as bad as it was in the shower, but it was intense. He called out for help, for his mother, the doctor, a nurse, _anyone._ But nobody came to his aid. The pain persisted, and after an uncomfortable few more minutes he couldn't wait any longer.

Shaking violently, he checked to make he wasn't wearing any underwear, and with his last shred of dignity, he pushed. It was unbearably painful, but he managed to strain himself two more times before relief settled in him and his body relaxed.

Valentine until every nerve in his body calmed, and he sat up, still quivering. "M-mom?" he called out weakly, wanting assistance. "Where are you?"

She didn't come to him, and he turned his attention to the hot, slick mass underneath the paper gown he was wearing. He didn't want to look, but he did anyway. He pulled back the paper gown, looking between his legs and covering his mouth in shock.

It was a baby, another one. It didn't make sense, nothing made sense. Very gently, he poked the creature's back, jolting a little when he heard it squeak. Swallowing nervously, he mildly picked up the baby, but held it a short distance away from him. The infant squirmed in his hands, scrunched up its face pitifully and began to wail. Almost instantly, a sort of instinct took over and Valentine could do nothing but press his face against the child, umbilical cord and all.

"It's okay," he crooned breathlessly, patting its back. "I'm right here, don't cry." He still didn't know how this was possible, but he didn't care. He wiped the afterbirth off his face and held the baby close to his chest, rocking it. The baby had stopped crying and lay quietly, moving around a bit to get comfortable.

Valentine lay against the pillow, his eyes slipping shut as he stroked the baby's back. He took a moment to recover from the shock, and he pulled the baby away from him to get a better look. Panic struck him when a familiar, calloused hand clapped around his neck and began to choke him.

The baby was gone, and instead it was Jared. His grip tightened around Valentine's neck and he grinned manically.

" _I WILL LIVE INSIDE YOU, FOREVER!_ " Jared's voice screamed, and Valentine shrieked in horror.

The feeling of the satin sheets of his own coffin's bedding and the squeaking of his ceiling fan brought Valentine back to reality. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding. He hated nightmares, for he knew that a bad enough one could possibly kill him in his sleep, and he was surprised this one didn't. He sat up, looking around the room and catching his breath. After he'd totally calmed and pinched himself to make sure he was awake, he got out of his coffin noiselessly.

It was four in the morning, so he crept quietly down the hall not to wake anyone. Slowly, he pushed the door to Anne Marie's room open and peeked inside. She was asleep in her own coffin, her ribs rising and falling with each breath. She was nine years old, now, and she'd lost some of her baby fat in her face, and this made her resemble Jared quite a bit. Nevertheless, Valentine walked in the room silently and gave Anne a kiss on the cheek, running his fingers through her hair while admiring her beauty.

Anne Marie's eyes opened, and Valentine brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Everything's all right, Annie," he reassured gently, smiling at her. "I was only checking on you."

She simply nodded, rubbing her eye and turning away. "Okay, Papa," she muttered sleepily. "And don't call me Annie."

Valentine chuckled, rubbing her shoulder and making his way back to bed.

She'd never become her father.

Right?

Chapter 1: The Happy Husband

 _"Where is the mustard?"_

 _"Jackson is an idiot."_

 _"Jackson is NOT an idiot. Dumbass."_

 _"Mike loves Teresa."_

These were the words carved on a brick wall in front of the shoe store. There were many more things written, but these were the ones that stood out to Deuce. He stared at the etchings blankly, letting out a sigh. He looked down at his six year old daughter, Dusa, watching her wipe her eyes and sniffle. She had a skirmish with her sister, Viper, and now she and her father had to stand outside the store so she could calm down.

"Why is Viper mean to me?" Dusa whimpered, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "Why does she hate me, daddy?"

"She doesn't hate you, honey," Deuce explained, stroking her hair. "She just likes being bossy. It's just a phase and she'll get over it," This was probably the third time he had to explain this to her. Viper and Dusa fought a lot, and though these fights almost never got physical, they were just loud. It would almost sound like the two girls were having a screaming competition. Yet no matter how long the fight lasted or what it was about, Dusa would always break down into a crying fit and Viper would tease her. But today was different, since this was the first time they'd fought in public and drawn the attention of all the shoppers to them. And now here Deuce was: standing outside of a fancy shoe store waiting for one of his daughters to stop crying.

Dusa rubbed her eye one last time, sniffing and looking up at her father through big eyes. "Can we go home, please?"

"We need to wait for your mother to finish shopping," Deuce explained, picking Dusa up. "Once she finds some shoes that she likes, she'll be right out."

Nodding, Dusa wrapped her little arms around her father's neck and nuzzled into his shoulder, whispering, "I wanted to just go shopping with _you_ ,"

Deuce chuckled, kissing her cheek. "I know, but you know your mom loves to shop."

At this moment, Cleo strode out of the store, carrying a cluster of shopping bags with little Viper trailing close behind. With a smirk, Cleo triumphantly held up the bags.

"I did it! I bought all the party shoes I need at the moment. Oh, Deuce, you have to see the diamond studded designer heels with the French lace! They're simply divine."

"That sounds great," Deuce nodded, trying to force a smile on his face. "Will they go with your new dress?"

"Oh, most definitely- here, could you carry this?" she handed Deuce two of the bags, using the free hand to grasp Viper's hand. Viper glared up at Dusa, and Dusa glared back.

"Stop it, you two," Deuce said sternly, watching as Viper crossed her arms and scowled.

They got into the car with all the bags, and of course Cleo handed the girls little toys to play with to keep them from fighting each other. When the children were distracted, Deuce began to drive and Cleo began to complain.

"Remind me never to take them again," she grumbled in a hushed tone. "My Ra, I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my unlife!"

Deuce clenched the steering wheel and zoned out as she went on and on. Since he'd been around her for so long, he was used to tuning out whenever she complained. However, a sharp yelp coming from the seat behind them yanked Deuce back into reality.

Cleo whipped around and demanded, "What happened, girls!?"

"Dusa's a stupidhead!" Viper screeched, slapping her sister in the face. "She hit me with her doll!"

" _I DID NOT!_ " Dusa screeched back in a louder, more obnoxious voice. Her lips trembled, and soon she broke down into tears once again.

This was all Deuce could take, and it wasn't long before his rage boiled over and he screamed, " _SHUT UP! SHUT, BOTH OF YOU!FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS, CAN ALL OF YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!?_ "

The entire car fell silent, and the girls did not quarrel again for the rest of the way home. Cleo just stared in shock, but said nothing. It wasn't until they'd arrived home and the girls went to go watch TV that Cleo said something regarding the incident.

"I can't believe you lost your temper like that!" Cleo remarked as she and Deuce snacked on cheese and olives while she went through the mail. "You've never snapped at them like that before."

Deuce, who felt ashamed about the way he'd acted, simply sighed. "It's just…they fight all the time! I really think we need to do something about that. It's just not right!"

"Don't be silly, dear," Cleo commented as she bit into a piece of cheese. "They'll work it out on their own. After all, that's what Nefera and I always did."

"Don't you and Nefera hate each other?" Deuce inquired. However, Cleo did not answer.

She was reading a letter she'd opened very intently as she cleaned her teeth with a toothpick. Finally, after a long silence, she stood up.

"How would you like to go on vacation?"

Deuce was baffled by this sudden notion. "What?"

"A vacation to Grand Island," Cleo continued, looking very pleased. "See, my brother, Ramses-"

"You have a brother!?"

Cleo chewed on her bottom lip. "Y-yes, well, I supposed I've never mentioned him. Ramses the second, my older brother, owns a vacationing spot known as Grand Island. And he's invited us to come! He says that we can bring any friends or family we wish, and that he'll pay for everything," she leaned into his face, batting her eyelashes. "So, wanna go, my love?"

Deuce thought about this. "Well, I guess that it would be nice to go somewhere,"

"Great!" She poured a glass of white wine and walked off, muttering excitedly to herself about the wonderful vacation they would all have.

Deuce sighed, pouring a glass of wine and looking out into their backyard.

 **Hello again!**

 **So, here's my new story. It may seem a tad depressing, but I hope it got you hooked.**

 **Now that you've read this, how do you feel about it so far? Do you think Valentine's nightmare has any significance? What do you think will be the outcome of this vacation (besides what the summary says)? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until next time, fellow monsters! And Merry Christmas if you celebrate!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Vacation Time

After about a week, everything was planned out. Heath and Abbey, Frankie and Jackson, Draculaura and Clawd were all coming on vacation with Deuce and Cleo, along with Valentine and Howleen. And of course, everyone was bringing their children.

"Tell me again why you're letting the kids come along?" Deuce inquired of Cleo as she packed a suitcase.

"Because," she grabbed a handful of Q-tips and shoved them into a plastic bag. "Viper and Dusa need more children to be around. The only children they ever seem to play with are their schoolmates and the servants' children, and you know we just can't have that," she picked up a silver flask and gave Deuce a questioning look. "Do you need this?" when he nodded, she put it in the suitcase. "Anyway, I feel like it would be nice for our girls to have some playmates so they can stop focusing on each other all the time, don't you agree?"

Deuce shrugged, looking away. "I guess," he looked back. "So, honey, I know it's a bit late to ask you this but…would you mind if we brought my mother along?"

Cleo gave him a look that was almost a shocked one. "You want to bring your mother along? Goodness, why?"

"Well, it's been a while since we went anywhere with her, and I just thought it would be nice if we-"

"Don't be silly, Deuce."

"What?"

Cleo rolled her eyes, folding up a few dresses and tucking them away. "She's your _mother._ You wouldn't want her following you around and telling you to do things for her, would you?" she picked up a small basket of her underwear and handed it to Deuce. "Would you put this in the wash, sweetie?"

Deuce started to leave, but then he turned back. "Come on, please?"

Cleo sighed, leaning against the wall and chewing on her lip. "All right, fine. But she'd better not cause problems! You know how your mother can be."

Deuce called up Medusa and asked if she wanted to go, and despite how last minute everything was, she agreed. That next morning, everyone met at the bus stop to wait for the travel bus to pick them up.

"Is everyone here?" Cleo inquired, looking over the group of friends who'd gathered. "Nobody's missing, right?"

"Well, Cleo," Frankie spoke up, a little nervous. "I-I actually invited somebody extra, if that's not a problem."

Cleo waved her off. "Oh, don't be silly. The more the merrier! So, who did you invite?"

Before Frankie could answer, a sleek, black car pulled up next to where the group was standing. The door swung open, and out stepped Toralei .

Outraged, Cleo turned to Frankie, her eyes full of fury. "You invited her!?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Cleo, come on," Frankie sighed. "We're not in high school anymore. And besides- she said she'd pay for everything herself."

Cleo snarled quietly in the back of her throat, but nevertheless turned to greet Toralei. "Hello, Toralei," she said with a smile that looked as if it were made out of rubber. "So glad you could join us."

Toralei gave a smug grin. "Glad I could be here," she turned back to her car, calling, "Tigerclaw! Come on, you can't stay in there all day."

The door opened, and a small werecat who was maybe nine years old stepped out. He looked very much like Toralei, with her markings and hair. Yet his fur was the color of seafoam with black stripes, and his eyes were a lovely sky blue. On top of all this, there was a birthmark of a star right in the center of his forehead. The others in the group didn't have to gaze at him for very long to know who fathered this child. _Napoleon._

Tigerclaw went right to his mother's side, grinning up at her with beautiful teeth. She smiled back and brushed a few hairs from his face, and turned to the group. "This is my son, Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw, these are my old classmates."

Tigerclaw walked up and shyly shook hands with some of the friends, smiling at Icer and Valentina, who he recognized from his first grade class.

"Now," Cleo said suddenly, drawing the attention back to herself. "There are a few rules I'd like to go over before we leave for my brother's resort. Number one: Make a good impression. Number two: your children _must_ behave! Ramses isn't that fond of children, so don't irritate him. He's very short tempered. And number three: whatever you do, don't make yourself look bad in front of the Grand Island regulars. They're very rich and-"

"Wait just a moment," Medusa spoke up, getting an irritated look from her daughter in law. "What do you mean by 'regulars'?"

"The people who live there, of course!" Cleo stated with contempt. "Not to mention the people who work at the resort, though most of them are just bums in need in work. Whatever the case, act your age. That goes for you, too, children."

Flarah, Heath and Abbey's two year old daughter, held up two fingers and said enthusiastically, "Two! I am two. Two years old." This was usually what she said on a regular basis, and her parents believed it was because she just liked the sound of her own voice.

Icer, who was used to his sister's babblings, just patted her head. "We know."

The very fancy travel bus pulled up after a few moments, glossy and dark with a sort of 'bling' covering the sides of the windows. Upon seeing this, Cleo whipped around and shouted, "All right! Grab your bags, we're going to Grand Island!"

As everyone boarded the bus and took a seat, Dusa inquired to her father, "Daddy, are we gonna be on the bus the entire time?"

"No, sweetheart," Deuce explained quietly as they sat down. "We're gonna stop in about an hour at a harbor, and then we're gonna get on a ferry. We'll be at the island in about three hours, okay?"

Dusa accepted this and pulled out a coloring book, amusing herself. Viper, however, fell asleep instantly in the padded seat.

The interior of the tour bus was extravagant. It was lighted, the seats were comfortable, and there was even a place for serving drinks toward the back. Cleo saw this and went to it immediately, setting the station up.

"Does anybody want anything to drink?" she asked, but no one got the chance to answer. At that moment, the bus jolted violently and the drink glasses spilled all over the floor.

From the front of the bus, the bus driver shouted, "Sorry! I hit an armadillo!"

Dusa looked over at her sister, seeing that hadn't woken her up. "Is Viper dead? Why didn't that wake her up?"

"She's not dead, honey," Deuce sighed, looking away. Medusa clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

"This will certainly be quite an experience," she murmured, opening her magazine and beginning to read.

The children were surprisingly very quiet for the majority of the bus trip. All they really did was sleep, do puzzles, or color in coloring books, and Deuce breathed a sigh of relief when Dusa and Viper didn't fight once.

After an hour or so, the bus stopped at the dock, and the group boarded the ferry. They soon realized that they weren't the only ones going to Grand Island, for when they stepped on the ferry, they saw travelers of several races, species and cultures all going to this vacationing spot.

Though, the ferry ride was somewhat uncomfortable. It was crowded with loud tourists and even a few barking dogs, and the biggest shock of all was when little Flarah found a cockroach inside the bathroom.

"Lookin' at me!" she squealed, burying her face in Heath's jacket. "Make it stop!"

The frightening moment was put to a stop when Abbey bent down the best she could (for she was pregnant again) and froze the roach to its spot. When Flarah realized the danger was over, she went on her merry way and looked out the ferry window with her brother.

Two hours later, the ferry stopped and the passengers stepped off. Dusa grasped her father's hand as they approached, her mouth falling open as they neared the resort.

"Woah," she breathed, and Deuce picked her up so she could get a better look.

Grand Island really was grand.

 **Why hello! Fancy seeing you again.**

 **I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I sure did! I stayed at home and helped make roasted squash, and then my brother and I talked about music while we ate fancy cheese with olives.**

 **Thoughts on this chapter and the story so far? How do you think the vacation will turn out? What are your thoughts on the characters so far? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until next chapter, my fellow monsters!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Grand Island

No one in the group had ever seen a place that was as lovely as this.

Everything, the trees, the buildings, the beach that was a few miles off, every inch was beautiful. As the other tourists scattered into the resort, Cleo made sure that everyone in the group stayed where she could keep track of them.

"We just need to wait for Ramses' assistant to give us our cottage numbers," she explained. "Then we can go explore," she then noticed a man standing a few feet away holding a sign with ' _Cleo De Nile_ ' written on it. "Ah-hah! There he is!"

Cleo beckoned the man, and he approached. He seemed to be a very average normie, with brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. Yet, something about him was off; mainly the fact that he wore a stone around his neck that was similar to the one Napoleon once wore years earlier.

The man smiled and shook hands with Cleo, saying, "You must be Cleo, Ramses' sister. I am his assistant, and you may call me Mr. Cladwell."

Cleo smiled back, tossing her hair in an honored fashion. "I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Cladwell. Now, Ramses said you would give us our cottage numbers?"

It was at this moment that Deuce noticed his mother shifting around in the spot where she stood, and he glanced over at her. One could clearly tell that, behind her dark glasses, her eyes were narrowed, and a low hiss rose up from the back of her throat as she glared at Cladwell. Deuce elbowed his mother lightly.

"Mom, come on," he said softly. "What's the problem?"

Medusa did not answer. Instead, she turned away and muttered something quietly to herself.

The cards with the numbers were distributed, and Cladwell told everyone to first go to the place where the cottage owners were. Then, they could get their keys.

Yet as they each went their separate ways, Deuce noticed his mother was still glaring at Cladwell. Cladwell noticed her and simply gave her a smirk as he turned and walked away.

Little Jonathan, about three years old now, trotted along while clutching his mother's hand as his parents looked for the owner's residence.

"It should be somewhere around here," Jackson murmured, looking at each house number carefully. "Oh, I think this is it!"

It was a quaint little house, with a lovely garden out front and clean porch steps. An old woman who was maybe in her seventies tended to the garden while a young vampire who was perhaps eighteen sat on the steps and looked at his iCofffin. As Frankie and Jackson approached, the vampire looked up questioningly.

"Who are you?" the vampire asked. Atop this boy's head was what looked like a Mohawk, but it was somewhat over grown and hung in his face, right above his eyes. He had quite a few piercings as well, two in his right ear, one in his left eyebrow, and one on his lower lip. The sight of him made little Jonathan gasp and hide behind his mother's leg, for he'd never seen someone like this in his three years of life.

Jackson cleared his throat and stood up straight, trying to look like an adult. "We're vacationing here, and we were told that someone here could give us the key to our cottage?"

The boy looked puzzled, but then he shoved his phone in his pocket and stood up. "Right this way," he murmured, and he turned to the old lady. "Hey, Madge! Do you know if John's done with his work?"

Madge looked up, making a face and spitting out a copious amount of chewing tobacco into the dirt. "How am I supposed to know, you dingbat?!"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but then he rolled his eyes. "Never mind her. She's just crazy, and there's not much I can do since we're basically the same age," he opened the door and ushered the couple inside, closing the door behind them.

The first thing that Jackson and Frankie saw when they walked in the house was a living room, with a large TV and some slick leather couches. Yet, on one of the couches sat a girl who looked so familiar to Jackson, but he just couldn't think of where he'd seen her. It wasn't until she looked in their direction that he recognized her.

"Tessa!" he exclaimed, feeling surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Tessa looked quite shocked as well as she put down the doughnut she was eating and wiped her mouth and hands with a napkin, standing up to greet Jackson.

"Hey, I remember you!" she said, shaking hands with both Jackson and Frankie. "Long time, no see!"

"Wait a second," the vampire boy broke in, quirking an eyebrow. "You mean- you guys know each other?"

Tessa nodded. "Yes, Henry. Remember that guy Jackson? In the story John tells about TVC? This is him."

Henry glanced over at Jackson, looking him over. "Ah, cool. You're a lot older than I pictured."

"I was younger at the time," Jackson said quickly.

Tessa took Jackson by the hand and led him into the dining room, signaling Frankie and Jonathan to follow. "John's in here, he'll be so happy to see you!"

Added on to the dining room was a kitchen with a marble counter and stools surrounding it. While a darker skinned man stood over a frying pan and fried something, John Patrick Nolan sat at the counter and read a newspaper. He looked different; his clothes were nicer, his skin looked healthier, and his hair had been cut short (while it was once down to the center of his back, now it was clipped neatly above his shoulders and tied in a ponytail). Tessa walked up and tapped his shoulder, saying, "You have a friend,"

Confused, John turned around, and his entire face lit up at the sight of Frankie and Jackson. He quickly got down from where he was seated and threw his arms around Jackson, clutching him in a tight hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" he said enthusiastically, pulling away and grinning at his old friend. He turned to Frankie and gave her a hug, too, and then Jonathan caught his attention. "Why, hello," John bent down, shaking hands with the small child. "Who is this?"

"This s Jonathan," Jackson explained, stroking his son's hair. "Our son."

Jonathan seemed very intrigued by John as he shook hands with him. The little boy tipped his head to the side curiously, eying John's hair. "Are you a boy or a girl?" Jonathan asked innocently.

John went silent for a few moments, then chuckled. "It doesn't matter. He's cute, Jack,"

As John stood up and smiled at Jackson, Jackson inquired, "You work here?"

"I do," John explained, sweeping hair from his face. "I'm actually a plastic surgeon, now. You know, for the crazy rich people here who need a new face every week and create all kinds of dog breeds the world doesn't need. They pay me a lot, though."

"How many times do I tell you, John?" the man over the frying pan sighed, turning to face the others. "You must do it for the love of the job, not the money." This was another vampire, dark skinned with deep, intelligent eyes and smart clothes. He was quite pleasant to look at.

John rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't _hate_ the job. It could be better, and besides, you don't have a job!"

"That's right, I don't," the man laughed, scraping some eggs on a plate. "If I remember correctly, you pay for everything I need." He smiled at Jackson, leaning over and shaking his hand. "The name is Chanticleer, and I presume you are Jackson?"

"That I am," Jackson nodded. "You still talk about me?"

"Yeah," John explained. "I tell that story a lot, Cricket especially likes to hear it."

As the two got reacquainted, Jackson wondered if maybe this was going to be a normal trip after all.

He couldn't have been more wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: An Elephant and A Portal

Deuce wasn't quite sure how long they'd been at the resort. Maybe a few hours?

The instant they'd walked in their cottage, Cleo said that she'd take the girls shopping at the market place to buy swimsuits, since the ones they'd brought were apparently not 'tropical' enough. After they'd left, Medusa said she'd look around the cottage a bit more just to figure out what room she'd sleep in. it was at that moment that Deuce decided he'd go check out the master bedroom. But when he found it and sat down on the bed, he fell asleep within a few minutes.

When he awoke, he forgot where he was and panicked for a brief moment. Then he calmed as he remembered where he was, and he sat up to take in his surroundings.

Someone had in in there while he was asleep, due to the fact that some of the clothes had been put away and the curtains were now open. He wondered who it had been, but then he looked at the pillow next to him and got his answer.

A note had been pinned to the pillow beside him, and it read,

" _Deuce-_

 _I found something interesting outside that you might want to take a look at when you wake up._

 _-Mom."_

Quirking an eyebrow, Deuce arose and walked out of the room and into the hallway. It took him awhile to find the back door, but when he did, he looked through the window and saw his mother sitting on a bench in the backyard.

"Mom," he called as he walked in the yard. "What did you-?"

Medusa hushed him, and pointed to something a few feet away. Deuce looked to where she was pointing, and his mouth fell open in shock.

There, just a few feet away, was an elephant. A real, living, breathing elephant, just standing in the yard. Deuce watched in awe as the massive animal pulled a root from the ground and ate it, standing there calmly all the while.

Deuce was at a loss for words. "I…I…what!?"

Medusa chuckled, getting up and nearing the elephant. "She's just been walking around here. I don't know why, I have no idea why she's here," she walked right over to the elephant like it was nothing, reaching her hand up and scratching the trunk gently. The elephant made a snuffling noise, reaching down and grabbing another root to snack on.

"How do you know it's a girl?" Deuce asked, nearing the creature cautiously.

"I looked at her name tag,"

"Name tag?"

Deuce then noticed a shiny medallion hanging around the elephant's neck, and he gently took it in his hands to look at it.

" _MY NAME IS ESMERALDA,"_ the tag read. _"I AM PROPERTY OF GRAND ISLAND,"_

Medusa grinned, stroking Esmeralda's wrinkled skin lightly. "She might just walk around as she pleases, all by herself."

"So, you don't think she has an owner?" Deuce inquired.

"She can't possibly," Medusa said, bringing her hand down. "Nobody can really 'own' an elephant- they own themselves."

The door to the cottage slammed, and Cleo's voice was heard.

"Deuce, darling, could you- what is _THAT!?"_

Deuce turned, seeing Cleo standing a few feet away with shopping bags clutched in her hand.

"Is that an elephant!?" she shrieked in alarm. "Get away from it! It looks dirty!"

"Her name is Esmeralda, and she's quite clean." Medusa told Cleo in an irritated tone.

"Clean or not, it's a wild animal! Away, Deuce, now!"

Reluctantly, Deuce stepped away from Esmeralda, murmuring out an apology to her. Esmeralda simply flapped her ears, reaching her trunk up and pulling down a branch to eat. Medusa did not leave her side, and Deuce just watched her silently as he walked inside the cottage.

"Deuce, I've just heard the most wonderful news," Cleo said excitedly as she and Deuce entered the small kitchen. "My brother has invited us to a party at his mansion tonight! Our friends can attend too, if they wish. Did you bring anything nice to wear?"

Deuce nodded. "Yeah, my shirt with the gold cuffs and that tie you bought for me. You know, the one with the silver streaks?"

"You're going to wear-!?" she stopped, and sighed. "All right, fine. Just make sure you wear the right shoes!"

She walked out of the room, and Deuce opened the mini fridge and began to dig through it.

"Does this place have any alcohol?" he muttered to himself.

An hour went by, and news of the party spread around the group. Toralei Stripe, who knew for a fact that Cleo would have a strong aversion to her being there, styled her hair and put on loads of perfume, for she intended to go.

Yet as she slipped into the dress she'd bought at the market place, she found she could not quite pull the zipper all the way up. So, she called for help.

"Tigerclaw!" Toralei called. "Tigerclaw, sweetheart, could you zip up my back?"

Obediently, Tigerclaw walked into the room and zipped up the back of his mother's dress. Toralei turned around with a smile and showed herself off to her son.

"Well? What do you think?"

Tigerclaw nodded politely. "You look pretty, mom. So, how much did the dress cost?"

Toralei's smile faded into a glare. "Don't you start with me, young Tom."

"Start what?" Tigerclaw retorted, grinning rebelliously.

"Listen, you!" Toralei snapped in such a loud voice that it made Tigerclaw blink. "I've had enough of your attitude with me, you understand?!"

Tigerclaw cupped his ear, pretending to be hard of hearing. "What's that? Could you repeat that?"

"You know what!?" Toralei said finally, walking away. "If you're gonna act like that, you're staying home!"

Before Tigerclaw could respond, his mother grabbed her pocketbook off the end table and marched out of the cottage with her high heels slamming against the floor. When the door slammed behind her with a loud bang, Tigerclaw sighed heavily.

It wasn't that he hated his mother or wanted to be disobedient, but something in him just wanted to act out. He'd been good his whole life and he was always very close to his mother, but a part of him felt…bored. He was tired of obeying, tired of keeping his mother company when she was lonely and tired of doing everything with her (on occasion, they even showered together ). Something was missing, something always had been missing, and it wasn't until embarking on this trip that he realized what it was: a father. Tigerclaw, up until this point in his short life, had been relatively content without a father. He couldn't remember a time when he had a father, his mother never mentioned anything about it, and they seemed to be pretty well off without a second parent. However, after seeing the other children with their fathers, he began to wonder: _why don't I have a dad? Did I ever have one?_

The sound of squeaking interrupted his thoughts, and he whirled around to see a mouse sitting on the counter.

"Hey, you!" he hissed at the creature, getting ready to pounce. "Better watch out!"

Tigerclaw leaped into the air, and the mouse scurried off. He chased the creature around the cottage, zooming through hallways and up staircases until he saw the mouse run underneath the closet door.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed out loud, throwing the closet door open. And then he saw something he did not expect to see.

The drive to chase the mouse vanished, and was instead replaced by the urge to figure out what was happening. Before him, inside the closet, was a cluster of trees. In fact, the more he looked at this, the more he realized that this closet door lead to a forest. He heard the chirping of birds and the rushing of stream water, yet he told himself that it couldn't be real. But then, the cool scent of pine and fresh rain blew into his face, and he knew it was genuine. Hesitantly, he reached out and touched one of the trees, feeling the bark beneath his paw, and he stepped into the grass as well. It was there, it was all there.

Taking a deep breath, Tigerclaw slipped in between the trees and into the forest, venturing into the unknown.

 **Quite something, huh?**

 **I hope you've been enjoying this so far. Sorry its been somewhat uneventful (except for this chapter, what with the literal elephant in the room and a forest portal)...**

 **So, thoughts? What significance do you think Esmeralda (the elephant) will have in this story? Any theories about the portal Tigerclaw discovered? Let me know if your review!**

 **Until next time, fellow monsters!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Jackals and Unicorns

The forest was deep, with all kinds of sights and smells flowing through its trees. Young Tigerclaw still pondered whether or not this was a dream as he continued to walk, looking up at the sky to see what time of day it was, yet he was unable to tell. The sky was pink, almost as if the sun were rising or setting, yet there were stars. _There's no way this is happening,_ Tigerclaw thought. _How can there be stars this time of day?_

Suddenly, a mass of dragonflies flew right past him, buzzing loudly as they did so. Yet somehow, in that buzzing, he heard a chorus of voices cry, _"We've been waiting for you, Tigerclaw! Come with us!"_

"Who are you?" he asked the dragonflies, but their only response was, " _Follow us, follow us!"_

As they sped off, Tigerclaw decided that there was really nothing else to do. He couldn't just keep wandering aimlessly through this forest, but if he turned back, what would there be for him? His mother was out, so she wouldn't be waiting for him. Thus, he took a chance and followed the dragonflies.

They led him through the woods and into a large valley full of flowers. Then, they passed through a small stream filled with fish of all vibrant colors and sizes, and then they arrived at a grassy hill.

" _Climb up the hill!"_ the dragonflies chirped. _"The gathering will take place shortly!"_

 _Gathering?_

For a moment, Tigerclaw did not move. He stood motionless, staring at the knoll until one of the dragonflies brushed the back of his neck, startling him. It was then that he began to climb up the hill, digging his claws into the grass to pull himself up to the top. As he got further and further up the hill, the wind got louder and stronger, and the color of the sky began to change from pink to bright purple.

Finally, he reached the top. The wind blew hard against his fur, messing up his hair and creating difficulty to keep standing. All of a sudden, the sky's colors began to change rapidly, switching from purple to blue and from blue to pink. The wind propelled a horde of flowers into the air, and they began to swirl around Tigerclaw, creating a sort of barrier. Tigerclaw was quite frightened by all this, and he began to wish that he'd just stayed at the cottage. But then another voice, a deep, smooth voice, said his name.

"Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw, do you hear me?"

Tigerclaw turned around, and his eyes widened in shock.

Standing before him was a unicorn, tall and silvery white. Their eyes locked, both eyes of clear blue, and the unicorn spoke again.

"Come, my son. You have much to learn."

Elsewhere, at the mansion belong to Ramses DeNile the second, a party was going on. A very fancy, yet loud, get together.

Young Dodger wrinkled his nose at a bowl of little squishy black spheres. "Yuck, what are those?"

"That's caviar," his mother, Draculaura, explained. "They're fish eggs."

Dodger stuck his tongue out at them. "Ew, rich people are gross!"

Clawd shushed him. "Not so loud! If you don't like them, stop staring at them."

"I hear they have embryos still inside them," a voice whispered in Dodger's ear. "And that's what makes them crunchy!"

Dodger whirled around in disgust, coming face to face with a vampire boy who was probably a year or two older than him. The boy grinned.

"My dad says that blood comes out, too,"

" _STOP IT!_ " Dodger snarled, pressing his face close to the older boy's.

"Cricket, what are you doing?!" a voice snapped, and the vampire boy became tense. John came running over, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Did you tell him the caviar thing!?"

Cricket grinned sheepishly, playing with his hair. "M-maybe,"

"He did!" Dodger huffed, crossing his arms.

It was at this moment that John looked up and noticed Clawd standing there, and their eyes met. They recognized each other, and John asked, "Hey, aren't you…?"

Clawd didn't say anything. Instead, he just looked away, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

There was a pause, and John grasped the wolf's hand in a firm handshake. "It's good to see you again," he said softly, smiling. Clawd smiled back after a moment, and all was right.

Suddenly, a blond woman wearing a bright pink dress and enough make up to scare a drag queen ran up and threw her arms around John's neck, making him gasp in surprise.

"Oh, John!" the woman squealed, pulling away and bouncing excitedly. "I didn't think you'd come! And Cricket," she bent down and patted his head, and he dove under the table to hide from her. "Ha! So cute! Well, John, I must be off. Oh, and thank you for the Botox!" and with that, she was gone.

Clawd could not speak for several moments. "Okay," he said finally. "Who in the name of God was that!?"

"That's Darla," John sighed. "Did you meet a guy this morning named Mr. Cladwell?"

When Clawd nodded, John explained, "That's his oh-so precious trophy wife, and she needs me to fix at least some part of her face every week," before he could elaborate, a hideous scream split the air, and there was a hush.

Heath Burns came leaping over the railing of the balcony, stumbling over to Clawd and grabbing him for support. He looked terrified, and part of his leg was torn and bleeding.

"You gotta help me!" Heath shrieked, looking fearfully into the courtyard. "There's-there's some creepy dog thing chasing me!"

"Creepy dog thing?" Clawd inquired, and then it leapt over the balcony.

It was a jackal, and not just any jackal, a golden one. A collar of jewels hung around its neck and foaming saliva lined its dark lips as it slowly stalked towards Heath, growling all the while.

Just then, a young a man swept in, closing his hand around the jackal's muzzle and holding it shut.

"Never you mind, everyone!" The man shouted. "It's just my pet!" he then knelt down to the jackal's height, muttering something in its ear. The jackal tucked its tail between its legs and scurried off without a sound.

"Goodness, Ramses!" Cleo snapped, running up to him. "A jackal!? You own a jackal!?"

Deuce, who was standing a few feet away, felt surprised. That was Ramses DeNile the second?

He was a rather handsome man, with neat, dark hair on his head and beautifully tanned skin. He wasn't dressed too extravagantly, for he wore just a blue shirt with a gold tint and some wraps around his wrists. Deuce had never seen anyone like him.

"Why, hello, sister of mine," Ramses addressed her with a cool smirk. "I see you haven't changed a bit."

Cleo nodded, nearing him. "And neither have you, you foul creature," they embraced, and when they pulled away, Cleo beckoned Deuce. "Ramses, this is my husband, Deuce,"

Deuce stepped forward, smiling and shaking hands with Ramses. "It's nice to meet you. Cleo's told me a lot about you,"

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that," Ramses nodded. "You seem like a fine man, perfect for my sister." He then introduced a girl that neither Cleo nor Deuce had noticed earlier. "I'd like you both to meet my fiancée, Magdalene Cladwell, my assistant's daughter."

"Please," she said in a gentle, haunting voice. "Call me Maggie."

Maggie was pleasing to the eye. At least, to Deuce she was. She had a slim, small breasted figure, with skin so soft that it looked like it would tear like paper if snagged. Her eyes were dark and difficult to see through her thick lashes.

Something about Maggie made Cleo uncomfortable, and she tried to change the subject. "Oh, Ramses, you haven't met our daughters yet! They're with their grandmother- Deuce can go fetch them!"

"That will not be necessary," Ramses said suddenly. He seemed distracted by something in his mansion, and Deuce looked to see what he was looking at. It was the jackal, standing on the staircase and staring at Ramses blankly. Ramses simply gave Maggie a soft kiss on the cheek as he turned and headed for the mansion. "I'll be right back! I just need to take care of something,"

As he disappeared into the mansion, Maggie sighed. "That old fool. Sometimes I swear he loves that mutt more than me," she turned to Deuce, a fond smile playing on her lips. "Of course, in the end, what choice does he really have?" and with that, she walked off. Even her body movements were graceful.

Cleo snorted. "I can't believe Ramses is marrying _her._ She just looks so…slutty!"

Deuce wanted to say something, but he kept silent. ' _What choice does he really have?'_ What did she mean by that?

As Ramses slipped inside his mansion, someone was watching him do it. That someone was young Icer Burns, who'd just witnessed his father get attacked by the golden jackal. His eyes narrowed as he watched the jackal lead Ramses indoors. Something was up.

Icer turned to his parents, watching as his mother put ice on his father's foot and as Flarah tried to 'kiss it better'.

"You don't need to do that, princess," Heath tried to reassure Flarah as she knelt down and tried to kiss her father's ankle. "Come on, honey, it's fine."

Icer made sure they were occupied, and then he inched away quietly. He came to the side of the mansion, grabbing on to a gate post and heaving himself up to a window. He heard voices, so he peered through the window and found it to be open. So, he watched and listened.

Ramses was inside, and so was the jackal. The jackal sat upon a plush red pillow in the middle of the room as Ramses paced around.

"I just don't understand why you needed to embarrass me like that!" Ramses scolded, shooting the jackal a glare. "I don't care what that man or fire elemental did, or whatever you think he did, but there's no need for how you acted."

The jackal, to Icer's surprise, spoke up. "You don't know the half of it," the creature said bitterly. "If you knew anything about that guy-"

"Is he from your past life?" Ramses asked in surprise. "Oh, my darling, those days are over, now! You're a new being, a new soul! And I love you. Your past life and the one you were before mean nothing."

The jackal went silent, and then asked, "Would you turn me human? I want to kiss you."

Ramses smiled, whisking his hand above the jackal's head. "Of course, my love," a sort of gold dust sprinkled on the jackal, and right before Icer's eyes, the jackal became a man.

The man was, in all respects, naked, with only the jewel collar around his neck. He rose up from the pillow, wrapping his arms around Ramses' neck and kissing him passionately. Ramses kissed back, running his fingers through the man's hair and tracing them down to the nape of his neck.

Icer was shocked by all this. This was so much for his young brain to handle, so much to try and make sense of.

"Say you love me," the man said finally as the two pulled away from each other.

"You know I do," Ramses smiled, rubbing the other's cheek with his thumb. "I don't need to say anything." They kissed again, for a shorter moment this time.

The man pulled away after a moment. "Are you done being social?"

"Let me go say goodnight to my sister, and then we'll be on our way," Ramses explained. "Maggie is doing a 'girl's night' with her friends, so we'll be alone. But first, let me go say my goodbyes, all right?"

They kissed once more. "All right," the man sighed, turning and walking off, still totally naked. "I'll get the hot tub ready."

Icer jumped down from the window, in a daze. "What was that?" he murmured out loud. He waited for Ramses to get out of sight, and then he ran off to tell the others what he'd seen.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Dreaming

 **Waring: this chapter contains sexual content. It doesn't last too long, but it's quite early on.**

Toralei threw the cottage door open with a huff, stalking inside. The party had not gone at all the way she'd planned- Cleo didn't even seem to acknowledge her, a man she'd met at the party ended up ditching her last minute, and then some creep spilled water on her dress in attempt to see if she was wearing a bra. It was a disaster.

The cottage was silent, so she assumed Tigerclaw was asleep. Yet as she passed the room they'd both agreed was his, she noticed the bed was empty. This worried her, but she went to her room and changed out of her dress anyway.

As she buttoned up the last few buttons on her pajama top, she became aware of the sounds of soft breathing coming from her closet. Quirking an eyebrow, Toralei walked over to the closet and opened it, finding Tigerclaw lying there asleep.

"Tigerclaw!" she snapped, watching him wake with a start. "What do you think you're doing!? Why aren't you in your room?! And why aren't you wearing your pajamas!?"

Tigerclaw could not speak. "I…I…"

"Let's get you to bed," Toralei said as she yanked him up. But then, she softened a little. "Why weren't you in your bed?"

Tigerclaw swallowed thickly, glancing towards the closet. "I just…I don't know. I was chasing a mouse-"

"A mouse!? There are mice here?" there was a pause, and Toralei giggled. "Nothing we can't fix, right?"

"Right," Tigerclaw grinned. He turned to the closet once more, feeling disappointed. _Was it all a dream?_

Elsewhere, in a sauna a short distance away from where the party was, Valentine contemplated the meaning of life. He wouldn't be thinking this way if it hadn't been for the fact that he now sat in a sauna wearing nothing but a towel, and that Naomi, the female DJ from TVC, recognized Valentine earlier and had somehow managed to get him in the sauna with her. Now, Valentine remembered just how chatty Naomi could be, and he wished they hadn't even begun speaking in the first place.

"But, that's just the way things worked out!" Naomi beamed as she concluded her tale.

"Uh-huh," Valentine mumbled, not looking at her. There was a pause, and Naomi rubbed her bare leg against Valentine's without warning.

When Valentine gave her a surprised look, Naomi chuckled. "Look, buddy- it ain't a secret that you and Howleen are not a thing. Why follow her everywhere?"

"She's just my friend," Valentine stated defensively. "Just because that one thing happened between us doesn't mean we're a couple."

"Then why do you hang out with her all the time?"

"For Christ's sake, Naomi!" Valentine exclaimed, burying his head in his hands. "We have a daughter together! We don't want Valentina to think that we hate each other, because we don't hate each other! Howleen and I are friends, and that's that."

Naomi was silent, and then she leaned in close. "So, you're single?"

Valentine let out an exasperated sigh. "Naomi, please."

"What?" she pressed against him, her fingers trailing up to flick his hair. "What do you need me to do?"

"N-Naomi…" it was becoming increasingly harder to argue with her, as her body was so close and the heat of the sauna was so intense. Valentine's mind was racing, his heart was pounding, and before he knew it, he'd slammed his lips onto hers and was kissing her deeply.

"Oh, yes," Naomi sighed into his mouth, bringing her arms around his neck as their towels slipped down to the floor. "That's right- oh, isn't that nice? Ah- yes! Show me how a rich guy makes love!"

What happened next was a blur. The intimacy did not last long at all, and when it was over, Naomi was quick to leave. She'd enjoyed it, that much was certain. But halfway through, she lost interest. She let him finish, though, for he seemed desperate for her, and he was. Valentine hadn't engaged in any sort of sexual activity for about nine years, and the most recent times had not been pleasurable. However, he thoroughly enjoyed his moment with Naomi, and when she left him alone in the sauna, a sudden emptiness filled him.

Valentine sat on the slick floor of the sauna, his damp towel beside him. He felt used- the only reason she had been flirting with him was because she wanted sex, not a relationship. This wasn't the only time, and when he recalled Jared, he shuddered and quickly tried not to think about that. Hands trembling, Valentine picked up his towel and wiped his face, chest and arms with it. Not because he was soiled in any way, it just made him feel better. Breathing deeply, he stood up to fetch his clothes and return to his cottage.

The cottage he had been assigned was very small, with only two bedrooms. Since he shared the cottage with Howleen, Anne Marie and Valentina, Howleen and Valentina were sharing a bed while Anne Marie (who had prepared for such an occasion) planned to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. Yet, when Valentine returned home, Anne had changed her mind.  
"Papa, could I sleep in your bed tonight? With you?"

Valentine gave her a surprised glance as he got some bottled water out of the fridge. "In my bed? Why?"

Anne Marie held up a worn looking book. "Howleen bought this book of French Fairy tales for me, and I was wondering if, you know, we could read it together?"

Valentine smiled, stroking her hair. "Of course, doll face. I'd love to."

The golden light filled the room as Valentine adjusted the covers of the bed. As he slipped in the blankets, Anna Marie climbed up next to him with the book and snuggled up close. She handed Valentine the book, and he opened it.

"Which one?" he asked, looking at the table of contents. Anne thought about it, and tapped the title that read, " _Reynard The Fox_ ".

"This one looks good," she smiled, leaning her head against her father's shoulder. Yet as he began to read out loud about Reynard the fox and all the tricks he played, Anne Marie found it difficult to keep her eyes open. Finally, after struggling with the urge to sleep for a good ten minutes, she drifted off into a deep slumber.

Anne Marie then found herself standing on the steps of a house. It was a lovely house, obviously belonging to someone who had quite a bit of money. She glanced around, quirking an eyebrow when she realized that this house was practically in the middle of nowhere. All she could see beyond the house was a vast, open field. She knew not what to do, but the only thing that seemed logical was to knock on the door.

Cautiously, she rapped on the door. There was no immediate response, but after knocking a second time, the door swung open.

A tall, blond woman who looked to be about thirty answered. "Anne Marie!" she exclaimed, making Anne back away a little. "You're just in time for dinner."

Anne Marie's mouth fell open, and she was speechless. After an awkward pause, the woman ushered her inside.

"We're having roasted chicken with potatoes," the woman explained, leading Anne around the gorgeous house. "It's almost ready, so could you go fetch your father?"

"My father?" Anne asked, feeling very perplexed. "Could you tell me what's going on? Who are you?"

The woman walked into the kitchen, slipping on an oven mitt. "All I can really tell you is that my name Sophie and I'm your aunt. Now, your father's in his study, which is down that hallway and to your left," she began to pull out a pan, but turned back to Anne Marie. "Well, go on! He'll be happy to see you."

Feeling nothing but absolute confusion, Anne Marie took Sophie's directions and managed to find the study. The house was huge, and this made her terrified of getting lost.

The door to the study was slightly ajar, and after pushing it open, a man of about twenty who was sitting in a chair and reading a book became visible to her.

"Hello?" Anne called out nervously, and the man spun around right away.

"Hello, Anne!" he said enthusiastically, standing up. "I'm so glad you're here! Are you planning to eat with us?"

When she nodded slowly, the man clapped his hands together. "Great! Wanna hear my new song?"

Anne Marie was no idiot- she recognized him. When she'd asked about her father about a year earlier, Valentine had gotten out old photos and newspaper articles and showed her what Jared, her paternal parent, looked like. Ever since that day, his face had been engrained in her mind. This was Jared, there was no doubt.

After some silence, Anne cleared her throat. "I didn't know you wrote music."

"Sure I do!" he sat down at a piano in the corner of the room, grabbed a bunch of papers off a table and began to play.

It was a rather soft, quiet tune, and it went like this:

" _Sleeping, wake up to the few the orchids are in celebration_

 _One good stretch before our hibernation_

 _Our dreams are just blue, my love is true_

 _The way back is black and blue_

 _My love is true,_

 _The way my words were faded_

 _Rather waste some time with you_

 _I would never let go of you,_

 _Can't you feel safe?_

 _The road is now a sudden sea and suddenly,_

 _You're sleeping, wake up alone_

 _We'll take the wheel if I was afraid I thought_

 _I was flying on a limb for you inside,_

 _Inside my heart is torn for all to see with a ribbon_

 _It's time to break in two pieces,_

 _The stars above your eyes,_

 _Everything that I could end the quest for fire, for truth, for love_

 _It's all in when it rains and I'll never change_

 _Still, I'm left alone,_

 _I've never felt so at home,"_

He would've continued had it not been for the fact that Anne Marie quickly tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

"Sorry, but- uh," she chewed on her lip, still not sure how to feel about this whole thing. "S-Sophie said that the food's ready."

There was a pause, and he laughed. "I should've known! Ah, she'll kill me. Well, she can try," Jared stood up, making his way out the door. On his way out, he ruffled Anne Marie's hair affectionately, and she couldn't help but giggle a bit. Yet as she walked towards their dining room, a strange feeling filled her. Was Jared really so bad after all?

The moment Anne sat down, Sophie handed her a plate. Just as she had said, it was chicken and potatoes, but it was unlike anything Anne Marie had ever tasted. The chicken was actually tender and moist, which to Anne was a pleasant surprise. Whenever she had chicken, it was usually a bit rubbery and dry, with ribbons of fat lining the sides. This chicken was not like that at all, and this was pleasing.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Sophie asked, and Anne nodded.

"Yes, please. Can I have some milk?"

Sophie smiled, getting up and going to the kitchen. She returned moments later with a glass of milk, which she handed to Anne Marie. Anne gladly drank the milk down, but then noticed some writing on the glass. The letters were bubbly and pink, with little flowers surrounding the words. The words read, " _Welcome Home!_ "

Anne looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "'Home'?"

Jared smiled at her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Yeah, kid. We've been waiting for you." Their eyes met, both soft eyes of brown, and Anne Marie stood up quickly.

"I-I think I need to get home!"

Sophie cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I…I don't know…I just-!"

"I think you need to get to bed," Jared cut in, taking her hand and leading her away. "I'll tuck her in, Sophie."

He took her upstairs to a little room, with a comfortable looking bed that had a canopy draped above it. It was lovely, and Anne Marie climbed into it right away. For a moment, she thought she was alone, but then Jared's hands brushed along her skin to pull the blanket around her shoulders. As Anne Marie pressed her eyes shut and silently begged for sleep, she felt Jared's lips peck her cheek in a gentle kiss.

"See you soon," he whispered.

Anne Marie's eyes opened slowly, and she found herself lying in the cottage bed next to Valentine. She didn't know what time it was, but the darkness she saw out the window proved that it was still night. She looked over, seeing that Valentine was asleep with the book of French Fairy tales still in his hand, and she took a moment to think. Was that a dream? Was it real? It was all so vivid, so clear. And Jared- her father. Was he really all bad? Was that really him?

Whatever the case, Anne Marie pulled the blanket up to Valentine's shoulders, kissing his cheek and turning out the light. No matter what, she loved her papa. Though she'd only been with him for around three years, her troubled past and younger years were such a haze that, as far as she was concerned, she'd lived with him her whole life.

Though the dream was still fresh on her mind, she snuggled close to her papa and rested her head on his chest, drifting back off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Nottamun Town

The sun rose high in the sky, marking the second day of the Grand Island visit. The sunlight shone into a cottage window and specifically into the little room belonging to Jonathan Jekyll. Little Jonathan awoke noiselessly, and when he looked outside, he sprang out of bed and scampered to his parents' bedroom.

Pushing open the door with his little palms, Jonathan scurried into the room and climbed on the bed, getting on top of his mother and poking her cheek.

"Wake up, Mommy," he whispered, gently touching Frankie's bolts and watching a little spark of electricity fly up. "The sun is up!"

Frankie rubbed her eyes, sitting up and smiling at her son. "Is that so? Well, I guess Daddy and I should get up, then," She nudged Jackson gently to wake him. "Do you want coffee, honey?"

Jackson yawned, sitting up slowly and stretching a little. "Yes, please. Did you check to see if there's any cream?"

Before Frankie could answer, there was a sudden knock at the door, and she rolled out of bed to answer it. With Jonathan trailing behind her, she opened to the front door to John.

"Hey, Frankie," John greeted, making his way into the cottage. "Is Jackson here?"

Frankie couldn't help but feel a flicker of outrage. "Yes, he is, but what makes you think you can just walk into our cottage?!"

"Well, sorry, pumpkin," he grinned at her with pearly fangs. "I own the cottage, so technically I _can_ just walk in,"

Hearing all the noise, Jackson emerged from the bedroom and went to see what was happening. "Who's there?" he asked sleepily, his tired body trying to navigate the house. John took one look at Jackson and chuckled.

"Whoa, someone's got bedhead!" when Jackson tried to sort his messy hair out, John just shook his head. "That's okay, man. Hey, I wanted to know if maybe you'd like to go to Nottamun Town with me and my housemates today."

"Nottamun Town?" Frankie asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Where's that?"

"It's on part of the island," John explained. "It's just a little place full of shops and other fun things. You can come with us, and you can totally invite some other of your friends if you want."

Jackson and Frankie exchanged glances, and Jackson shrugged. "What time would we be leaving?"

"At about ten. You know, three hours from now."

Jackson looked at the clock on the wall. It was currently 7:30 AM.

"Well, I'd like to," Jackson smiled. He turned to Frankie. "What about you?"

Frankie thought for a moment, and nodded. "All right, that sounds just fine," She knelt down to Jonathan's height and inquired, "What do you think, buddy?"

"Can I swim?" the little boy asked innocently, tipping his head to the side. John chuckled.

"Of course you can. There's a pool, so bring your swimsuits and whatnot!"

Jackson spread word of the trip to Nottamun Town to all the friends in the group, and was disappointed to find that many could not attend. Heath and Abbey were taking Flarah and Icer to go see a boat race down at the dock, Draculaura and Clawd were planning to go to the beach with Dodger, and Howleen and Valentina were going with them. Toralei and Tigerclaw were also planning to go to the beach (of which Jackson was thankful-he was worried about how she'd get along with John). However, Valentine was available, and after being asked, he was quite excited to go. When Jackson made the offer to Deuce, he was also very excited, but he needed to ask Cleo.

"Cleo," Deuce inquired as he watched her sip her iced latte. "I was wondering if we could go to Nottamun Town today, because-"

"Nottamun Town!?" Cleo repeated, nearly laughing at such a notion. "Deuce, my darling, why on Earth would you want to go there?" Before Deuce could respond, Cleo said quickly, "And besides- I'm taking the girls out to see a fashion show, and then we're going to go shopping. After that, we'll go to lunch. Doesn't that sound fine?"

Deuce shrugged. "That does sound nice, except for the fashion show part. It's not that weird designer with the beard again, is it?"

"What a thing to say!" she snapped, making him jump. "If it bothers you that much, you can stay here at the cottage the whole day."

"The whole day?!" Deuce exclaimed in disbelief. "I'm not staying here the whole day!"

Cleo rolled her eyes. "Well, what else would you do?"

"I'd go to Nottamun Town," he stated in a rather matter of fact tone.

Cleo stood up suddenly and loomed over him, her eyes glaring at him intensely. "I don't like this tone," she stated, her voice low and menacing. "Do not speak to me that way ever again. Do you understand?"

Deuce shrunk away from her, nodding. Cleo's look softened, and she kissed him deeply. When they parted, she sighed.

"I'm so sorry, you know I love you."

 _You have a very funny way of showing it,_ Deuce thought bitterly. Though, he said nothing.

Cleo grabbed her pocket mirror and put on her lipstick in its glass. "I suppose if it means that much to you, you can go. But you must alert me whenever you change location. You must always tell me where you are, and when I text or call, you answer as soon as possible. Understand?"

"I understand," Deuce nodded, swallowing thickly. Cleo smiled, tipping his chin towards hers and nuzzling him.

"And could you take Dusa with you?"

"Dusa?"

"She and Viper were bickering earlier this morning," Cleo sighed. "I think it's best if you just get Dusa away from her for a moment."

Deuce shrugged. "All right, I can do that."

"I love you very much, my dear," she crooned. Deuce nuzzled her back, stroking her cheek.

"I love you, too," he replied in a quiet voice.

After Cleo and Viper had left for their activities, Deuce packed a water bottle, some money, and his and Dusa's swim wear into a bag and prepared to leave. Before he went on his way, he gave Medusa a kiss on the cheek.

"You sure you don't wanna go with me?" he asked. His mother shook her head.

"I'd rather stay here," she answered softly, sipping her tea as she watched Esmeralda eat some branches outside.

Deuce nodded, bid her goodbye again, and went to meet his friends.

He arrived at a trolley station moments later, feeling surprised. "A trolley?" he asked as he came up beside Jackson. "They still make these?"

"John says it's the best way to get to Nottamun Town," Jackson explained. "And he would know, he lives here."

John hopped into the trolley, beckoning his companions. "Come on, everyone! Trolley won't stay here forever!"

As they boarded the trolley, Cricket looked Dusa over from head to toe with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you?" he asked, almost startled . "Are you a gorgon?"

"Yes," Dusa told him with a nod.

"But you have hair!"

When Dusa looked up shyly to Deuce for help, he explained, "Dusa's mom is a mummy, that's how she has both snakes _and_ hair."

Cricket considered this. "Oh…I guess that makes sense."

"Cricket," Tessa called from a few feet away. She was gripping the side of the trolley and leaning against it as if she were about to faint. "Cricket, can you get Mommy her insulin pill?"

Cricket dashed over right away, reaching into his side bag and getting out a bottle of pills. He fished one out for her, and she swallowed it down with water from her water bottle.

"Is she okay?" Jackson asked, turning to John. John sighed.

"I'm trying to work on curing the condition she has," he explained. "You see, we're trying to conceive another baby, but every pregnancy she's had after Cricket has ended in a miscarriage. So, I've been giving her insulin pills and shots and she's been eating food with special chemicals in it to help her put on weight."

"Has it been working?"

"Not really," John admitted. "Though we're trying very hard. See him over there?" he gestured to Henry, the boy with all the piercings who was sitting a short distance away. "He's trying to lose weight when he doesn't even need to, and it's making me nervous."

Jackson quirked an eyebrow. "Why does he need to lose weight?"

"No idea. Probably because he thinks it'll impress his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Jackson watched as Henry nudged Chanticleer gently, and Chanticleer responded running his hand down the other's thigh. Jackson took this time to really study Henry, and he realized just how sickly he looked- he was terribly skinny, and his skin just looked dull and unhealthy. _Why would he be trying to keep off weight?_

"Daddy!" Jonathan climbed on Jackson's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Daddy, I see horses!" Jonathan loved horses, so it was no surprise that a horse racing track quickly caught his attention.

Frankie smiled, stroking her son's hair. "I saw that too, Jonathan. Maybe we'll check it out later!"

"The track might be closed today," Tessa explained, some strength returning to her. "But sometimes there are horses outside if you want to pet them,"

"I wanna pet them!" Jonathan squealed, looking back out the window. Deuce looked out the window as well, watching as they passed the little shops and a large pool house.

They stopped at the station and got off the trolley. At this point, they had to decide what to do first.

"Should we go swimming?" John asked after everyone was accounted for. "The pool house isn't far from here. It's an indoor pool, too."

"That sounds nice," Jackson agreed. "Is that what we all wanna do?"

The answer returned as a 'yes' from everybody, and they were on their way to the pool house.

The pool house was surprisingly quite empty, except for an old man who sat in the corner and talked to himself with wide eyes. The children were all told to stay away from him, and they did.

Cricket had gotten the attention of both Dusa and Jonathan when he pulled down a basket of pool toys from a cabinet nearby. "These are always fun," he said as the younger ones weeded through the toys. "I think you'd really like the little fish that squirts water,"

As Deuce watched the children, somebody swam up beside him in the water. Deuce looked, seeing it was Valentine.

"Hey there," he greeted with a smile. "Having fun?"

Valentine shrugged. "So far? I suppose. Swimming's not really my thing, but I'm just glad we didn't go to the beach,"

"Yeah," Deuce chuckled. "You vampires sunburn really fast, right?"

Valentine grinned. "You could say that,"

There was a pause, and then Anne Marie swam up to her father.

"Papa, what are we doing after this?" she asked.

"I don't know," Valentine turned to Deuce. "What _are_ we doing after this?"

Deuce shrugged. "Well, I heard John talking about going to see a movie, but I don't know if that's a final decision or not." Suddenly, a plethora of water sprayed Deuce in the face, and he sputtered in surprise. "Gah! What!? Who did that!?" he looked up, seeing Dusa floating in the water and holding a little rubber fish.

"Sorry, Daddy," she grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know how much water was in it!"

Deuce smiled, wiping the water droplets off his glasses. "That's okay, princess, that's okay."

When everyone got tired of swimming, they all dried off and put their normal clothing to go to the movie theater. The theater was playing an old romance movie called, " _The Emerald and the Damsel"._ It was a very old movie, and the children grew bored of it very quickly.

Anne Marie noticed Valentine was about to fall asleep, and she nudged him. "I don't like it either," she whispered. "But don't be rude!"

Valentine chuckled, ruffling her hair. "All right, my dear. I'll try not to." He looked up at the screen, seeing the leading lady kiss the man she loved as the wind blew them about. It was cheesy, but Valentine couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. He remembered Naomi from the night before, and his heart sank. As the movie progressed, he fell asleep, and this time Anne did not wake him up until it was over.

"How'd it end?" he asked as Anne Marie poked his cheek.

"They ran off into the sunset," she replied dryly. "I saw it coming."

After the snooze fest that was " _The Emerald And The Damsel_ ", they stopped for lunch at a quiet café. It was about 12:00 PM, and Deuce had just noticed that Cleo had called him three times, and he'd missed all three calls.

"Damn it," he muttered. "She's gonna kill me!"

"Who?" Valentine asked, cocking his head to the side.

"It's Cleo," Deuce sighed. "She called me during the movie, but I didn't answer because my phone was on silent!"

"Can't you just explain to her what happened?"

"Probably," Deuce sighed, resting his head in his hands. "If she'll let me get a word in."

There was a pause, and Valentine pushed a little closer. "Look, Deuce," he said quietly. "I'll admit, I don't really know that much about love. I thought I did, but I don't. But there's one thing I do know, and it's that love is about being happy. You're not happy."

"Yes, I am!" Deuce retorted, somewhat offended. "I'm married, I have two daughters and plenty of money. I have all I could ask for!"

Valentine shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee. "Al l right, whatever you say." As Deuce typed away on his phone, Valentine suddenly found himself checking the other out. He wasn't sure why, he just found looking at Deuce…interesting.

"So, what do you do for a living?" John asked Jackson while Henry and Chanticleer listened.

"I work at a hospital," Jackson explained. "I do blood work tests in a lab."

John nodded. "That sounds cool. I was almost a surgeon, but we both know that never happened."

There was a hush, and Chanticleer inquired, "John, do you know where our waitress is? There's a bit too much sugar in my tea."

"I don't know. You can talk to her when she comes back,"

Chanticleer noticed her by the drink station, and he stood up. "That will not be needed; I'll go talk to her right now."

"Chanticleer-!" John tried to stop him, but he'd already wandered off. "That prick," John huffed. "He used to be a slave, you know."

"Really?" Jackson asked, intrigued.

Oh, yeah," John nodded. "He got turned during the Civil War by his former master," he then noticed Tessa leaving the bathroom looking dizzy, and he went to assist her.

"So, you work at a hospital?"

Jackson jumped when he felt a chilly hand gripping his wrist. He looked up, seeing it was Henry.

"Y-yes?" Jackson answered, a bit frightened.

Henry looked to make sure Chanticleer was occupied, and he pulled Jackson into the men's room with him. "I need to ask you something."

He took him into the handicapped stall, locking the door behind them and looking totally serious.

"Do you know any types of cancer?" he asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

Jackson quirked an eyebrow. "Why do you ask? Are you okay?"

Henry let out a sigh, smoothing his messy hair down. "No, I'm not okay. Please, I need your help," he turned to Jackson, lifting up the hem of his shirt and revealing his bare stomach.

"What are you-" Jackson stopped when he realized what Henry was showing him.

With Henry's thin frame, it was impossible not to notice what was happening. Jackson was alarmed he hadn't even noticed it before; it was quite prominent. Part of Henry's gut was filled out, but in such a way that it couldn't be fat. If anything, it was a tumor.

"Please," Henry looked at Jackson, his young face full of fear. "I think I have cancer!"

Jackson was speechless. He barely knew this boy, and now he was in a bathroom with him talking about the possibility of cancer. Finally, Jackson cleared his throat.

"You should see a doctor," he told him. "That doesn't look healthy, especially on someone like you. How long has it been there?"

"About three months."

Jackson rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know what it can be," he said after a moment. "Just see a doctor, okay? I'm really not the best person to ask."

Henry nodded silently, turning and walking out, leaving Jackson alone in the bathroom.

 **Hello, once again, my readers!**

 **It is 2016, and I have some announcements: first off, I'm participating in my school's musical, "Once Upon A Mattress", so that's going to be eating up some of my time. If I don't post much, well, that's why.**

 **What are your thoughts on this chapter? How do you think Cleo will react to Deuce not answering her calls? What do you think is wrong with Henry? Are there any questions you have about the story so far? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until next time, fellow monsters!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Necklace

It was 2:00 PM.

Deuce arrived to the cottage filled with dread, for he knew Cleo was waiting for him. To smooth things over, he'd bought a necklace at the gift shop as well as a beautiful, plush deer for Viper to play with. Dusa had picked out an owl for herself, and she cuddled the soft toy close as her father opened the cottage door.

Medusa was right there to greet them, and she wrinkled her nose at Dusa. "Were you swimming!? You smell like chlorine. Ugh, Deuce, could I give her a bath?"

"Sure you can!" Deuce nodded, and when the two walked off to the bathroom, he went to see if Cleo was there.

He found her on the patio out back with a milkshake clutched in her hand. She sat totally still, staring out at the beach nearby. Swallowing hard, Deuce approached, necklace in hand.

"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, kneeling down and dangling the necklace in front of her face. "I got you something."

Cleo remained silent as she slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes narrowed to slits. Finally, after a dead silence, she spoke.

"I called you three times," she growled through gritted teeth. "And you directly ignored me,"

Deuce tried to explain. "L-look, babe, I'm sorry- we were watching a movie and I had to silence my phone!"

Cleo suddenly snatched the necklace from his hand, throwing on the patio and crushing the fancy stones with her high heel. " _THE POINT IS-!"_ She screamed, her voice so brash that it made Deuce jump away from her. " _I GAVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS AND YOU DID NOT FOLLOW THEM!"_

"But Cleo-"

" _SHUT UP!_ " Cleo got face to face with him, a deadly glare marking her face. Her voice became quieter. "Now, Deuce. You know I don't like getting angry, so please, why can't you just listen to me!?"

"It wasn't even my fault," Deuce muttered.

Cleo went silent for a few moments, and then she bent down to pick up the crushed necklace from the floor of the patio. The little crushed pieces on the gold chain glittered in the sunlight, and Cleo cleared her throat.

"These aren't real sapphires,"

"I never said they were."

She looked back up at him, and she smacked the broken necklace into his palm. "Throw this in the garbage."

A strange feeling of frustration boiled in Deuce, and he heard himself snapping, "No! You broke it, you throw it away!"

Cleo froze, a look of shock on her face. "What did you say?!"

Deuce found himself unable to speak. "I…I…"

Her hand, with all its rings on the fingers and the bracelets on the wrist, met Deuce's cheek in a stinging slap. Deuce stumbled backwards, surprised and offended as she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"You-!"

Deuce could not take it, and he slammed her against the wall of the cottage. "Don't ever do that to me again or I'll leave you!"

Cleo's mouth hung open, her lower jaw quivering in silence. Finally, she wrestled away from him, a strangled sob escaping her and tears trailing down her cheeks. "How could you!? Oh, you're going to regret this!" with that, she ran inside the cottage and into their bedroom.

Deuce stalked inside the kitchen, dropping the destroyed necklace inside of the garbage can. "Piece of junk," he murmured, leaning against the wall with a sigh. It was this moment that he looked to his left and noticed Viper, her mouth wide open in astonishment.

There was a silence, and Viper's surprised face became a scowl.

"You made Mom cry!" she hissed, very upset. "Why would you do that!?"

"I got angry," he admitted. "I'll tell her I'm sorry later, okay?"

Viper thought about this, and she stamped her foot. "You _can't_ fight! At my school, there's a girl named Azrael, and her parents fought a lot and her dad made her mom cry and then her dad had to go away somewhere! If you make mom cry, you'll go away, too! You can't do that, Dad!"

Deuce knelt down to her height and tried to explain. "Honey, listen- we just had an argument, that's all! Nothing else! I'll talk to her later, and I won't go away somewhere, I promise! I…" the moment those words left his mouth, a cold feeling settled within him.

"You better promise!" Viper snapped, crossing her arms. "You better say sorry!"

Deuce sighed, defeated. "Viper, please…"

"If you leave, we'll be all alone!" Viper continued, completely wrapped in the fictional future she'd thought up. "We'll be alone, and Mom will marry somebody else! What if-"

"Viper, stop it!" Deuce snapped, covering his face with his hands. "I've had enough!"

Viper suddenly smacked her father on the arm with her petite hand. "Don't yell at me!"

" _VIPER-!_ "

Deuce wasn't quite sure what happened. All he knew was that all the anger he'd felt, the frustration, the distress- everything just became too much to handle. The next thing he knew, he was looking down at Viper, who was cowering on the kitchen floor and sobbing violently. It took Deuce a moment to fully realize what he'd done- he'd slapped his child in the face.

"Oh, my God!" he gathered her in his arms immediately, holding her tightly. "Oh, no, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it! I'm sorry, so very, very sorry,"

Viper wept profusely into his shoulder, her tears dampening his shirt. Deuce patted her back, feeling the strongest remorse he'd ever felt for anything in his life. _I just hit my daughter,_ he thought as he cuddled her. _I hit her- I've never done that before._

Sniffling, Viper looked up into her father's face, tears streaking down her cheeks from her eyes, which were hidden behind her dark glasses. As she wiped them away, she hiccupped. "I-I knew it! I knew you loved Dusa more!"

Deuce could hardly believe what he was hearing. "What?"

Viper took a deep, shuddery breath, her tears still falling. "Dusa's your favorite! You always play with her and I'm always the one who gets in trouble! You don't love me- _she's_ your favorite!"

"None of that's true!" Deuce replied, almost outraged. Had he really favored Dusa over Viper? Nevertheless, he hugged Viper again, kissing her cheek. "Viper, I love you, and I love Dusa, too! Please, don't ever say I don't love you, because I do," he kissed her again, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry that I hit you, baby doll. I swear, I didn't mean it,"

Viper calmed down, pressing her face against his chest and looking up at him. "I'm sorry I hit you, too," she apologized in a little voice.

Deuce stroked her cheek gently, cracking a smile at her. "That's okay, just don't do it again."

A bit later, when Viper had totally calmed down, Deuce sat with her on the couch and turned on the TV. However, she fell asleep on his lap with the plush deer, and Deuce found himself watching a little cartoon about candy-colored horses by himself.

"Deuce," a voice said, and he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, seeing her expression was one of worry. "I heard everything."

Deuce sighed, turning back to Viper. "I feel so terrible. She thought I loved Dusa more than her! Does it really seem like that?"

Medusa shrugged. "Well, you do spend more time with her than Viper. Maybe you just need to do something that includes both of them. But, then again, maybe they'd fight,"

Viper shifted in her sleep, and Deuce had a sudden realization. "Oh, no," he groaned, biting his lip. "Do you think that's why they've been fighting? Because Viper's jealous?"

A silence filled the air, and Medusa let out a heavy sigh. "It's this damn marriage of yours! It's making you stressed, and it's clearly getting out of hand since you took it out on a six year old," when Deuce looked away, Medusa turned his head to make him look at her. "Promise me you'll do something about your marriage."

Deuce was silent, and then he turned away. "I've made too many promises, Mom."

Medusa lingered for a moment, and then she stood up and walked out without a sound.

Meanwhile, in another cottage just a few miles away, Valentine fixed his hair in the mirror of the bathroom with a red comb. Just as he set the comb down, Anne Marie walked in.

"Papa," she said, getting his attention. "Papa, I-I had a…strange dream last night,"

"Strange?" he asked, picking up the comb to fix a part in Anne's hair. "What was it about?"

Anne Marie took a deep breath, knowing he wouldn't like this. "I dreamt about Jared. I-I dreamt that I went into a house, and he and Sophie were there, and I ate dinner with them."

Valentine went completely silent. He turned away, thinking about what he'd just heard. Finally, he turned back to her. "Don't think about this dream again. Just forget about it, like any other unimportant dream! And if you dream it again, try to wake yourself up, okay?"

"But…" Anne Marie considered this, and she sighed. "Okay, Papa."

Valentine knelt down and embraced her, and after a few moments, he pulled away. "I'm going to go see what we're doing for dinner, okay?"

Anne Marie nodded and followed after him, feeling mixed emotions.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Magic?

 **Warning: there is some foul language in this chapter. There's not a lot, but it's there.**

The sun went down, and the stars appeared in the sky over Grand Island. On the island, the stars were quite lovely to look at, and young Tigerclaw discovered this as he looked out the window thoughtfully.

"Hey, kitten," Toralei purred, stroking him behind his ear to get his attention. "You stink- how about we take a shower?"

Tigerclaw nodded as his mother grabbed some towels and led him inside the bathroom. When they were both undressed, they got in the shower and Toralei turned on the water. Tigerclaw took this moment to ask a question that had been on his mind.

"Mom," he began, taking a deep breath. "Can you tell me about my dad?"

Toralei squeezed some shampoo on her palm, mixing it together and lathering it in her son's hair. "What do you want to know?"

"Who was he?" Tigerclaw asked, squeezing his eyes shut as his mother washed the water over his head to rinse out the shampoo.

"Your father was a maniac," Toralei explained, applying the shampoo to herself now. "He tried to kill me when I was pregnant with you, and not just me, either- _everyone._ "

Tigerclaw cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

Toralei shrugged. "Don't know. But, I'm glad you're not like him, you cutie pie," she kissed his water-soaked head, and he kissed her back.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel confusion. He wanted to learn more about the one who fathered him, and he knew just how he would find out.

When Toralei went to sleep in her own room, Tigerclaw went to the fridge and plucked a piece of cheese off a sandwich he'd gotten earlier and saved for later. He put the piece of cheese on the floor, hiding behind the counter and waiting patiently.

Sure enough, a little mouse came hopping along, sniffing the cheese curiously and grasping it in its little paws. Tigerclaw waited until the mouse had nibbled some of the cheese, and then he pounced. The mouse scurried away quickly, and just like the first time, Tigerclaw chased it into his mother's closet.

He glanced over at Toralei, making sure she was asleep, and then he made his move. He opened the closet door, and sure enough, the cluster of trees was there once again. Tigerclaw checked his mother once more, and then he slipped into the forest.

The birds sang soft songs in the trees as Tigerclaw walked further and further. After a few minutes, he found the unicorn drinking from a little stream. The unicorn lifted his head as he heard Tigerclaw approach, and he turned to face him.

"Hello again, my son," the unicorn nodded, stepping closer. "I was not expecting you to return so soon."

Tigerclaw shrugged, scratching behind his ear sheepishly. "I…uh…well, here I am!" he laughed a bit nervously, and the unicorn got a bit closer, tipping his head to the side.

"What is so funny?" there was a pause, and the unicorn turned to nudge something under a leaf with his hoof. "Well, thank you for this lovely cheddar. I'll be eating it later."

Tigerclaw stared in confusion as the unicorn pushed the hunk of cheese beneath the leaf. _The mouse?_

"Well," the unicorn spoke suddenly, yanking Tigerclaw's attention back. "I suppose it is time to begin your training, eh?"

"My training?" Tigerclaw repeated, quite puzzled. "Training for what?"

"For your magic. You have lots of it, but you just need to learn how to use it."

The unicorn led him into a clearing in the woods, and Tigerclaw began to think of what Toralei had told him earlier. "Hey," Tigerclaw asked softly, and the unicorn turned around to face him. Tigerclaw swallowed nervously. "S-so, uh, are you really my dad?"

The unicorn blinked, lifting his head up. "Pardon?"

"Well…it's just…you keep calling me 'son', so does that mean-"

"Since you seem so unsure," the unicorn cut in. "I will put it this way: I sired you while in my human form. Biologically, I'm your father, and you're my son. However, it is up to you in you want to refer to me as such," he leaned a little closer to Tigerclaw's face, looking into his eyes. "You can refer to me as your father, but if you do not wish to do that, you may call me by my real name."

"What's your real name?"

The unicorn lifted his head once again, closing his eyes. "Napoleon," he pawed the ground gently, kicking up a bit of dirt. "Now, what will you call me?"

Tigerclaw thought about this, and then he made a decision. "I'll call you Napoleon. F-for now, anyway."

The unicorn bowed his head. "Fair enough. The next matter is how you wish to view me. This is my regular form, but if you want me to change, I can become human. Would you prefer that?"

"Um," Tigerclaw looked him over, grimacing a bit. "Will you be naked? You're not wearing any clothes."

"I won't be naked."

"Good. Can you be human, then?"

The unicorn was silent, and then he took a few steps back. His horn glittered, and then his whole body began to shine. He was so bright that Tigerclaw had to close his eyes after a moment. Finally, the light faded, and Tigerclaw's eyes reopened.

The unicorn was now a man, and he was dressed in a purple robe with white stitching. A staff was clutched in his hand, and it had a spiral pattern just like his horn.

Napoleon knelt down to his son's height, and a smile came to his face. "You seem frightened, my son,"

"D-do I?" Tigerclaw stuttered. "I mean, I-I don't…you…you so much like me."

Napoleon chuckled warmly. "I do? That makes sense, I suppose. Now," he straightened up, sticking his palm out. A flicker of flame appeared there. "Your training begins. Try to lift this fire from my hand with your mind."

"My mind?" Tigerclaw quirked an eyebrow. "But…well, okay."

Staring intently at the flame, Tigerclaw focused on nothing except moving it. He tried to block everything else out and concentrate on moving the flame. Slowly but surely, the flame began to rise, and soon it had risen right above Tigerclaw's head. It probably would have gone higher, but Napoleon closed his hand quickly and the flame disappeared.

"That was good, you did well," Napoleon nodded, smiling with fatherly pride. "If you keep practicing, you'll be able to control fire any way you please."

Tigerclaw grinned up at Napoleon, and suddenly he felt a sharp, burning sensation in his forehead. He pressed his eyes shut and looked away, sucking in a sharp breath. "Ah! Ow!"

"Don't worry, that's normal," Napoleon assured, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "It won't last long."

The pain soon faded, and Tigerclaw breathed a sigh of relief. "W…what was that?"

Napoleon brushed some hair away from Tigerclaw's forehead, and he smiled once more. "Just as I thought- your horn is coming in."

"My horn?" Tigerclaw asked in surprise.

"Yes. After all, you have unicorn blood in you, and I was hoping this would happen, my boy." He stood up, gesturing for Tigerclaw to follow him. "Now, come with me, we'll continue your training."

The sun went down and rose again, and once again, Toralei found Tigerclaw curled up in her closet.

"Geez, kitten!" she remarked as she lifted him up. "If you like this closet so much, I'll just put a blanket and pillow right in here for you!"

Yet as she was watching him brush his teeth, she noticed that the birthmark on his head had a lump protruding from it. However, after a few minutes, she figured it was just a mosquito bite and left it alone.

Word got around throughout the group that Ramses had invited everyone to another party, a luncheon this time. It was held at his mansion once again, but this time on his enormous yard.

As everyone gathered, Jackson Jekyll noticed John and the others went to greet them. Though, as he began to converse with them, he noticed the atmosphere seemed…tense.

Henry looked uncomfortable. His hair was messier than usual, and he kept running his hands through it while biting his lip. Some beads of sweat gathered on his forehead.

"Henry, are you okay?" Jackson asked, and Henry froze. The little group fell silent, and Chanticleer took Henry's arm gingerly .

"Let's go drink something," Chanticleer said to him softly, and the two walked off together.

When they were out of earshot, John sighed. "Jesus Christ, that kid…"

"What? What is it?" Jackson asked, very concerned.

"After breakfast this morning," Tessa began, sweeping some wisps of hair from her face. "I walked into the bathroom and saw him trying to make himself throw up. There was a big argument, and now he's really upset."

"He also keeps complaining about stomach cramps, now," John said as he shook his head. "It's no wonder he has cramps- he can't even keep food in his stomach for half an hour!"

There was a pause, and Jackson took a deep breath. "John, in the restaurant bathroom in Nottamun town yesterday-"

" _HELP ME!_ "

All heads turned to the garden in Ramses' lawn, where little Flarah was being dragged along by her foot by the jackal. As Flarah tried to get away, the jackal bit down harder and snarled at her.

In a flash, Heath was there, and he kicked the jackal in the teeth. the jackal yelped and lost its grip, and Heath snatched up Flarah immediately. He didn't get away fast enough, though, and the jackal latched itself on to Heath's thigh.

"You bitch!" Heath snapped at the jackal, shooting a fireball at it. "You leave us alone, you understand!?"

The jackal yapped angrily in response, and this time John ran up and snatched the creature up. the jackal, however, simply snarled and began to chew on John's hair and claw his face.

" _CHANTICLEER!_ " John screamed, wrestling with the crazed animal. " _HELP ME WITH THIS!_ "

Chanticleer ran up and reached into his pocket, pulling out an old pistol and aiming it at the jackal's head. "Be careful, John!"

" _HOLD EVERYTHING!_ " a voice screamed, and everyone turned to see Ramses running toward John and the jackal. Ramses snatched his pet from John's arms, setting on the grass and sprinkling a sort of gold powder on it. There, in front of everyone, the jackal became a man.

"See!?" young Icer pointed, jumping up and down. "I was right!"

" _WHAT THE FUCK!?_ " Heath screamed, handing Flarah over to Abbey as he stared in disbelief. " _JARED!?_ "

Jared looked up at Heath with wide eyes, and Ramses grabbed him by the arm. Before anyone had any real time to react, Ramses snapped his fingers and disappeared into a cloud of smoke with Jared. They were gone.

Everyone stood in silent shock for a long time. After a moment, Heath began pacing around, clearly distressed.

"Chanticleer!?" A nervous voice called. "Ch-Chanticleer!"

Chanticleer turned his attention to Henry, seeing he was doubled over in pain. His jeans were blood-soaked and he was sweating profusely.

Chanticleer bolted over right away, taking him into his arms and helping him lie down. As John and Tessa went to see what the problem was as well, Icer noticed his father just how upset his father was.

"Dad?" Icer asked, taking his father's hand. "Dad, are you okay?"

Heath did not answer, so Abbey just touched Icer's cheek gently. "He is not fine, son," she said quietly. "He is not."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Blood, Sweat, and Jackals

 **Warning: There is some intense content in this chapter, and most of it contains blood. I won't give away too much, but viewer discretion is advised.**

What had begun as an innocent luncheon was now a chaotic episode. Nobody was quite sure what to think.

However, one thing was certain- Henry MacArthur, one of John's housemates, needed medical attention, and fast. The bleeding had become extreme, and Chanticleer Washington, Henry's significant other, had removed some of the boy's clothing to see where the blood was coming from. It was at this moment that most of the children were ushered off a safe distance away from the fearful scene.

"Does anyone have a phone on them!?" John demanded to know, trying to keep Henry still. "We need to call 911!"

"I can do it!" Valentine volunteered, pulling out his phone. "What do I tell them?"

Henry yelped in discomfort, and Chanticleer ran a hand through his lover's hair. "Tell them that we have a vampire boy in severe pain!" Chanticleer touched Henry's forehead, and Henry whimpered in response.

As Valentine dialed on the phone, John took notice of the bump on Henry's stomach. "What is that!?"

Henry swallowed thickly, blinking back tears. "I-I don't know! I've…I've had that for a few months, now! I- ah!-th-think it's a tumor!"

Valentine broke in suddenly, leaning over Henry. "The operator wants you to describe your pain,"

Henry wiped at his eyes, letting out a pained sob. "It-it feels like…Oh, God!" he gripped his sides, trying to compose himself. "It feels like something's trying to…s-something's trying to come out!"

"Trying to come out!?" John repeated as he quirked an eyebrow.

Henry nodded, biting his lip. "Y-yeah! Something's pushing- it's pushing hard! Right here," he rubbed the lower part of the bump on his stomach. "Something's trying to come out!"

"He says that something's trying to come out," Valentine explained to the operator. "That's something's pushing." The more Valentine described the symptoms, the more he realized that what Henry was feeling and recounting seemed oddly familiar.

"Was he born a vampire?" the operator asked.

Valentine turned back to Henry. "Henry, were you born a vampire?" When Henry nodded, Valentine said to the operator, "Yes, he was,"

The operator took a deep breath. "Is there any chance he might be pregnant?"

Valentine froze. He hadn't thought about that. Yet, now that he was considering this, he remembered the night of Anne Marie's birth- that pain, that sharp, agonizing pain that began as a small cramp but escalated into a powerful convulsion that made him scream. He knew this, and he knew it all too well.

"Henry!" Valentine knelt down beside the young vampire, the phone still clutched in his hand. "Henry, is there any chance you might be pregnant?"

Henry's mouth fell open, and it became clear that he had not considered this a possibility. He covered his mouth with his hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "Oh, God…oh, God, please don't let it be that!"

John took a quick peek between Henry's frail legs, and he reached up to feel the strange distension of Henry's stomach. John's eyes widened. "Oh, my-!" John looked back up at Valentine, a frantic expression present on his face. "Yes! Tell the operator yes!"

Henry cried out, and Chanticleer held him close. "You'll be fine," Chanticleer reassured softly. "Everything will be fine."

Henry's body convulsed suddenly, and he gripped his stomach tightly. John reached up and shook Henry's shoulder to get his attention. "Henry, I'm sorry, but an ambulance may not get here fast enough. You're giving birth, and your baby is nearly out. All you need to do is push, all right?"

All of this was so confusing to Henry. He just realized he was pregnant and about to give birth, and here he'd been these past couple months- refusing food or purging it whenever it was ingested. There were times when the hunger became so strong that he eventually did eat food and keep it down, but they weren't frequent. _If the baby's dead, it's my fault,_ he thought remorsefully. Nevertheless, he pressed hard with the pressure he felt, just wanting all of this to be over with.

All it took was that one push. A wave of relief swept over Henry, and his body settled. Chanticleer stroked his cheek lovingly. "Henry? Henry, how do you feel?"

Henry sighed, cracking his eyes open a bit. "Better…" he murmured, leaning lazily into Chanticleer's shoulder.

Everyone else held their breath as John removed his jacket and wrapped the tiny newborn baby into it, rubbing the child's back all the while. The baby didn't stir. As Valentine glanced over John's shoulder, he noticed just how skinny and sickly the baby was.

"John, do you think…" Valentine trailed off, watching as John sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you guys," John said quietly to Henry and Chanticleer, his voice shaking. "It's hopeless. This baby is very malnourished."

Upon hearing this, Henry began to sob, though he barely had the strength to do so. Chanticleer held him close, kissing his cheek and caressing his hair.

The sound of the ambulance rang out, and then something happened. Perhaps it was the fact that the ambulance was so loud, or maybe the fact that John had stood up that exact moment with the baby clutched in his hands, or maybe it was just the bright sunlight. Whatever the case, everyone halted when a loud, shrill shriek erupted from the baby wrapped in the old jacket.

John looked down in shock, seeing the baby was writhing around and squealing. By some miracle, it wasn't stillborn, and it was clearly unhappy with this new environment.

Henry was up in a flash at the sound of his child's cry, and he reached out with trembling hands to hold the child in his arms. His distressed tears soon became tears of joy, and he cuddled his child in his arms and kissed it. "I'm sorry!" he wept, pressing the baby's body against his cheek. "I'm sorry; you almost died because of me! Forgive me, please!"

The baby calmed down a bit at the contact, squirming around a little and whimpering. Chanticleer took this moment to tip Henry's face up to his, planting a kiss on his lips. "He forgives you, I'm sure. Now, come on- you need some help." As Chanticleer helped Henry up, a group of paramedics rushed to their aid and helped them off to the ambulance. The cluster of partygoers surrounding the scene began to disperse, and another question came about: what was going to be done about Jared?

"Will Henry be all right?" Deuce asked, coming up beside Valentine. Valentine shrugged, sighing a bit sadly.

"I honestly don't know. After they fix his physical problems, he's going to need counseling. _Lots_ of counseling."

"Oh."

There was a pause, and Valentine looked around. "Did Cleo come with you?"

Deuce groaned, turning away. "Yes. I don't know where she is, though. She saw some relatives of hers and she's with them."

"What about the girls?"

"They're with my mom."

Valentine nodded. "I see. How's it going between you two?"

"As of now? Not well. We had a fight, and it was pretty nasty."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Valentine said sympathetically. "I…I hope everything works out for both of you." That was a lie. Ever since Valentine and Deuce had even begun speaking, Valentine wanted so badly for Deuce to leave Cleo. He knew this relationship would not end well for Deuce, and he also knew that Deuce needed to be happy in his marriage. And now that he was seeing the couple begin to drift apart, he knew this only meant one thing: his desires would soon be in reach.

"Hey! Guys!"

Both Deuce and Valentine turned to see Heath coming towards them, a look of rage present on his face.

"Clawd and I are gonna go look around this place to find Jared," he said, his voice rough and heated. "We're gonna end him, for the second time! Wanna join us?"

Deuce clicked his tongue. "I don't know, Heath. What about Ramses? He seems to be pretty powerful, and if we anger him by killing his…pet, I guess, then we might be in serious danger."

"But Jared has to pay!" Heath protested. "He should've stayed dead! Come on, we need to take care of him once and for all."

After a few more minutes of arguing, Deuce and Valentine decided they'd help Heath and Clawd at least look. For two hours, they walked up and down the streets of Grand Island, peeking in windows and looking down alley ways. Finally, Heath could no longer stand it.

"Let's just break in his mansion! Icer said that was where he saw them the first time."

"No!" Clawd retorted, clearly upset. "The last time someone made me break into a building, serious trouble started! Don't make that happen again."

An argument nearly started, but then the group was approached by two figures.

"Why, hello, boys," It was Cladwell, and his daughter Maggie was right beside him. "So nice to see you! Would you be looking for Ramses and his jackal?"

"Yes!" Heath snapped. "Where are they so I can barbecue their asses!?"

Cladwell simply shook his head. "Poor, stupid boy. Why would I tell you? What are you to me? Stop looking, it's hopeless. Ramses and Jared are in the little, perfect world they created for themselves. The only you can get there is if you…ah, never mind."

"Perfect world?" Clawd asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Is it really that important to you?" Maggie asked, flipping some hair from her face. "He's just a jackal."

Heath was absolutely livid. " _Just_ a jackal!? Do you even know what he did!?"

Cladwell nodded. "I know full well what happened. You can't change the past, though," he turned to leave, but turned right to Deuce. "Tell your mother I said hello," he told Deuce in a hushed tone.

As Cladwell walked away, Maggie brushed Deuce's cheek with her finger. "See ya 'round, you adorable serpent," and then, father and daughter disappeared into the alley ways.

 **Hello, everybody! Thank goodness I got this done…**

 **I just wanted to finish this before I went to rehearsal tonight. I'll be there for about three hours tonight in a freezing auditorium…oh, well.**

 **Thoughts? As always, I'm eager for feedback. Were you surprised about what happened with Henry? Are there any questions you have so far about this story? Do you have any theories about what might happen next?**

 **See you next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: What Is Love?

The sun was still up, though the afternoon was slowly fading into evening.

Heath, Clawd, Deuce and Valentine had given up trying to find Jared and instead retreated to Heath's cottage. He'd ended up with a rather decently sized cottage, and his two children were quite pleased with the space.

However, little Flarah was in no mood to be romping through the cottage. She was sitting on the couch with a doll, looking down at the wound on her ankle and whimpering. It had been washed and bandaged, but she couldn't stop thinking about the incident.

"Doggie bit me," she sniffed as Heath knelt down beside her. "Bad doggie bit me."

Heath nodded, kissing her cheek. "I know, sweetie. It's okay- Daddy's gonna find the doggie and beat him up!"

Flarah looked at him with a pout and pointed to her ankle. "Hurts bad, Daddy!"

As Heath comforted his toddler, Valentine noticed Deuce was chatting with Abbey near the little kitchen. Thinking quickly, Valentine turned to Clawd, deciding that the secret needed to be shared with somebody.

"Clawd," he whispered, getting the wolf's attention. "I need to talk to you,"

Clawd quirked an eyebrow. "About what?"

Valentine checked again to make sure the others were occupied, and he ushered Clawd into the corner near the staircase leading to the basement. Once they were out of ear shot from their companions, Valentine took a deep breath.

"You have to keep this a secret, Clawd,"

Clawd grimaced. "My God, what have you done!?"

"Nothing! It's just…" he glanced mournfully over at Deuce, and then turned back to Clawd. "I'm in love with Deuce."

Clawd fell completely silent, and his mouth just hung open. After a moment, he swallowed thickly. "Does…Deuce know this? I mean- have you talked to him?"

"No,"

"Good. Keep it that way,"

Valentine was quite taken aback by this remark. "But…what? What do you mean?"

Clawd sighed, shaking his head. "I mean you need to wait until he and Cleo aren't a thing. If you go after him right now, Cleo will kill you. And I'm not saying she'll just beat you up and possibly castrate you, I mean _kill_ you. If you and Deuce mess around right now, you'll put both of your lives in danger," Valentine tried to protest, but Clawd quickly silenced him. "I'm not kidding, Kieran. I dated Cleo once, and she gets nasty really fast. She made me cut off all contact with my female friends when we first started dating to make sure I wouldn't cheat! She also bragged to me once about how she and her sister strangled a gangster to death! She's not afraid to kill, so you need to be careful."

Valentine's heart sank. "But…" he thought about the situation a bit more, and soon decided it was fair. "All right. I'll wait. I'll wait as long as I can for them to split,"

Clawd nodded. "Good. That's a good choice."

A few hours later, Valentine returned to his cottage and prepared to go to sleep. Once again, Anne Marie approached.

"Would you mind if I slept in your bed again?" she asked sweetly.

Valentine smiled at her, tousling her hair. "Of course, princess. I don't mind it at all,"

As she climbed into bed, she then posed a question. "Papa? Today, when Henry had the baby, it looked like it really hurt him. Does it hurt? Did I hurt you when I was born?"

Valentine thought for a moment about how to answer her question. "Well…I don't think I would blame you for any of the pain I felt, but truthfully, it really does hurt. Of course, you weren't very big, and Henry's baby looked a little bigger than you did,"

Anne Marie grinned. "Didn't I weigh two pounds?"

"Yes, you did!" Valentine chuckled, wrapping his arm around her and holding her close. They stayed that way for a few moments, and then Anne Marie looked up at him with sad eyes.

"That jackal," her voice softened. "Jared- he's the jackal, isn't he?"

Valentine fell silent. After a minute, he swallowed hard. "It…would appear that way, yes."

Anne Marie leaned against her papa, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. "Should we be afraid?"

He stroked her hair gently, kissing her head. "We should be scared of him, which means you stay away from him at all costs. I don't care how charming he seems to you or if he even offers to buy you dinner, you stay away from him no matter what. Do you understand?"

Anne Marie didn't answer for a few moments. She recalled the song he'd written, the gentle way he held her hand, and the sweet kiss he gave her before she slept in that bed. Nevertheless, she sighed deeply and kissed her papa's cheek. "All right, Papa."

Valentine smiled at her and kissed her back. "Good. Now, let's get some sleep, okay?" he shut the light out and pulled her close, cocooning the blankets around them and holding her near. She snuggled against his chest, and she was asleep within a few minutes.

Anne Marie soon found herself standing on the steps of the house once again. She remembered what her papa had said about entering the house and confronting Jared, yet she felt an urge to enter the house. For several minutes, she stood on the steps and argued internally with herself about whether or not she should enter. Finally, she had a solution: _Maybe I can just get Jared's side of the story. He had to have a reason for being evil, right?_

She knocked on the door, expecting Sophie to answer. However, there was no one. She knocked again, and still, nobody. Curiously, she pushed on the door, finding it to be unlocked. After much hesitation, she entered.

The house was different than before. It was darker, and the squeak of the floors beneath her shoes seemed very noticeable. At this moment, Anne Marie noticed the faint sound of piano playing, and she realized it must be Jared in his study. But when she went to investigate, all she saw was Sophie playing the piano in a very lethargic manner. She didn't acknowledge Anne, and she kept playing the same short and simple tune without interest. After a few seconds, Anne Marie timidly got her attention.

"Um, excuse me," she flinched a bit when Sophie spun around quickly. "D-do you know where Jared is?"

"He's off with his lover, and they're both 'recharging'," Sophie drawled. She sounded drunk. "His strength is my strength…yeah."

She turned back to the piano slowly, but Anne Marie got her attention once again. "Are you okay, Sophie?"

Sophie turned back, sighing. "Look, kid," she leaned closer to Anne Marie, and Anne suddenly realized just how unpleasant Sophie looked. "You gotta get out. _Now._ I-I'm not supposed to say this, but-"

A pair of ghost like hands suddenly shot out from inside the closet nearby. They grabbed Sophie; one hand on her neck, the other on her mouth, and they pulled her inside the closet. Anne Marie could do nothing but stay rooted in her spot as she listened to Sophie's muffled screams with horror. After a few minutes, Anne Marie acted quickly and darted out of the room.

She ran out of the house, her feet pounding on the steps as she did so. She sprinted through the grass, running further and further until she couldn't run anymore. Legs trembling, she sat down on a worn picnic bench, pulling her knees up close to her face and sobbing.

Anne Marie tried to force herself back into reality, trying to assure herself that it was just a dream, that she could wake up anytime. Yet, every time she opened her eyes, she had to be reminded that she was still in this odd world.

As she wept bitterly, somebody approached her. Anne Marie didn't notice this until a gentle hand touched her shoulder. Sniffling, she turned and noticed that the stranger was offering her a handkerchief.

"Don't cry, you poor thing," a deep, masculine voice whispered. "Did you get stuck here, too?"

Anne Marie looked up, realizing the stranger was a werewolf. He seemed quite old, but his eyes were full of compassion. As Anne gratefully took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes with it, the wolf sat down with her and gently put an arm around her. Taking a deep breath, Anne Marie explained. She tearfully told him everything, about who her father was, the first dream she had, what her papa told her, and now what had happened in this 'dream'. The wolf just listened quietly, never making a comment and never making a sound.

Once Anne concluded her tale, the wolf patted her back. "You poor girl. It's all right, you'll wake up eventually. Unlike you, I'm trapped here."

"Why?" Anne Marie asked, drying her eyes. "What even is this place?"

"This place is known as 'Limbo'," The wolf explained. "Despite what you may have heard regarding this place, it is a sort of alternate reality as well as a spirit realm."

Anne Marie quirked an eyebrow. "Spirit realm? You mean, like, ghosts?"

The wolf shook his head. "Ghosts and spirits are different from each other. Spirits are the souls of those who have passed on, while ghosts are their own separate species. In this place, there are spirits that have been summoned here for a reason that I'm still not sure of, but we have the power to create our own places."

Looking around in the area where they were sitting, Anne Marie had an interesting thought. "Did you build this part?" she asked. The area consisted of a few worn park benches, a small garden, and a large shrine with crosses and religious imagery sat right in the middle of everything.

"Yes, I did make this," a faint smile played on his lips, but it disappeared after a moment. "But, despite how beautiful it may be, it doesn't stop me from being reminded of my crimes. You see, towards the end of my days, madness took over my mind and I did so many evil things. My mind was so diseased that I had forgotten how to distinguish right from wrong. I went against what my religion believed, I hated everybody, and the hatred was what destroyed me," he looked away, filled with remorse. "No matter how many things I create or where I go in this realm, my sins will never be washed away. If I ever do escape, I know I'll never end up in the Kingdom of Heaven like I always bragged I would."

Anne Marie fell silent, but then she rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "But you're good now," she reassured. "You can still do good things here! You just let me use your handkerchief when I was lonely and scared, and you comforted me. That has to count for something, right?"

He looked back at her, and another smile appeared. "I…suppose. It's just- I hurt so many vampires throughout my years, and I thought it would help make up for my wrong doings if I helped just one,"

Anne Marie grinned at him, and she leaned in for a hug. She immediately regretted this decision, as he smelled out of old ham and wet dog. Yet, she did not pull away.

He hugged her back after about a minute, and she whispered, "Thank you,"

"No," he said, running a hand through her hair. "Thank _you_."

Anne closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she found herself back in bed with her papa, still wrapped in his arms. It made her feel happy to see he was sleeping so soundly, but it wasn't long before she suddenly felt overcome with emotion and began to weep once more, sitting up and burying her face in her hands. After a few minutes of tears, Valentine awoke.

"Anne Marie?" he asked drowsily, sitting up. He then became very concerned. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She did not answer him, but she instead buried her face in his chest and sobbed profusely, soaking up all the security she needed. He hugged her close, his scent so lovely and relaxing.

"There, there, baby doll," he whispered in a soothing tone. "You're okay now. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

She cuddled into his chest, and she had never felt so loved in her whole life.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Beach

 **Warning: There is sexual content in this chapter. It's not too graphic, but it's there.**

It had been nearly four days since they'd embarked on this trip, and so much had happened within that time. This was supposed to be a vacation, a time for relaxation and a chance to get away from the struggles of unlife. Instead, it had finally led Deuce to admit one thing to himself: his marriage was going downhill, and fast.

It had been about 3:00 AM when Deuce awoke to the sound of his iCoffin beeping. He removed his eye mask (which he usually wore to keep himself from accidently petrifying Cleo or himself in a mirror), put on his shades, and took a look at the text message. It was from Heath, who was announcing in a group message that Abbey had just gone into labor and that they were on their way to the hospital on the island. He also noted that Icer and Flarah would be spending the next few hours with Clawd and Draculaura.

As Deuce set his phone down, he couldn't help but notice that Cleo had moved to the far edge of the bed, farther away from him, and had bunched the sheets around herself in a sort of nest. It was almost funny- just the fact that all those sheets made her look like an actual mummy from the old, black and white movies, but Deuce could not bring himself to laugh. On their first night at the cottage, Cleo could barely keep her hands off of him, and even when he'd tried to tell her he was worn out and wanted to stop, she wanted to keep going and made no efforts to hold herself back. But here she was now: curled up on the edge of the bed with the sheets nearly strangling her. She was still angry with him for their fight.

Deuce suddenly felt an urge to leave. Just to get up and walk out, to forget about everyone. After a moment, he stood up and walked out of their bedroom. He did not bother to grab his iCoffin.

He slipped on a jacket and slid into his sandals, and without hesitation, he left the cottage. He didn't know where he was going, but he just kept walking and walking along the streets of Grand Island, illuminated by the lights.

The huge garden at the park drew him in immediately, and he sat down on a stone bench underneath a tree. Everything was silent- there were no birds, no wind, and no tourists. Just silence, sweet, beautiful silence. Deuce remained still upon the bench, his snakes quieting as well. Everything was at peace, and the cold feeling of the stone beneath him awakened his memories.

He recalled sitting in his mother's garden as a child, gazing up at the statues decorating the flowers and plants. Whether they were victims of hers or statues she'd just bought, Deuce couldn't say. She'd never told him. Deuce's favorite statue of all, though, was that of a horse. He figured it must have been something she'd petrified, for the creature's face was frozen in terror, rearing up as its mouth was wide open in a silent scream. As a child, he had climbed on the great animal's back, gripping on its neck with ferocious intensity so he would not slip. He'd even written his name on the shoulder in green chalk, just for fun. The chalk was most likely gone, now, washed off by the rain.

Deuce was so immersed in his memories and in the beauty of the peace that it took him a while to notice the crunching of leaves further away. When he finally did notice it, he looked up.

He didn't see anybody, but someone was coming. It was at this instant that he realized just how ridiculous he looked: green sweatpants, no shirt, a denim jacket, and a pair of brown sandals. He stood up quickly and turned around, not wishing to be seen.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" a familiar, feminine voice said. Deuce didn't have to turn around to know who it was: _Maggie._

"Look, Maggie," he sighed, turning around. "I don't want to…what are you wearing?"

Maggie was dressed in nothing except very, very tight underwear (on both her lower and upper parts) with lingerie covering her thighs, and around her neck hung a dog collar. She swept to Deuce within a few seconds, pressing the curve of her body to his chest.

"What's wrong?" she pouted, batting her eyelashes. She adjusted the top to reveal more of herself. "Don't like it?" when Deuce did not answer, she giggled. "You're adorable."

"Maggie!" Deuce choked out finally, moving away. "I-I don't want to- Maggie, I'm married!"

Maggie simply put her arms around Deuce's neck, smirking. "I know that. So?"

"My wife will kill me!" Deuce pushed her off, backing away and preparing to escape.

Suddenly, Maggie reached forward and grabbed the collar of Deuce's jacket, attempting to pull him towards her. He resisted, and soon the collar of the jacket tore with a snap.

Deuce broke free, darting out the garden as Maggie screamed after him: " _DEUCE! GET BACK HERE! YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME! YOU HEAR ME!? NOTHING!_ "

He ran far, far away, and he ran for a long time. Finally, he stopped, dropping to his knees while panting. Deuce looked around, realizing he'd stopped at the beach. As he looked at the sky, he also realized that the sun was beginning to emerge in the sky, casting a beautiful shade of pink above the water. How long had it been since he'd left the cottage?

Deuce looked out into the water, and he got the sudden desire to swim. Standing up, he kicked off his sandals into the sand and neared the water, experimentally wading in it. He waded until he felt the water soaking his sweatpants, and he began to think about how the wet fabric would cling to him later and that it would take a long time to dry. So, he turned back and headed for shore, removing his jacket and casting it aside to where the sandals were sitting. And then, with great apprehension, he slipped his sweatpants down and dropped them on the other clothes. Soon after, his briefs followed.

What a strange feeling- being naked out on an empty beach. What a strange, delicious feeling! The wind began to blow gently, and Deuce felt a sense of relief. Yet, it was soon replaced by a deep sorrow. After this, he would have to return to Cleo. This freedom would not last forever. And what of Maggie? She would make up a lie, no doubt, to get back at him for not doing what she wanted. To think- he'd first seen her as beautiful! She was nothing more than a second Cleo, wanting to own him and restrict him.

Sitting in the sand again, Deuce tried to think of ways to feel this happy and free all the time. He tried to think of ways to escape this marriage, but all his thoughts came back to the same result: he couldn't leave Cleo.

 _It's not about me!_ Deuce thought, resting his head in his hands. _It's for Viper and Dusa! They would be heartbroken if Cleo and I split. I need to stay strong- for them!_

Yet, the more he tried to convince himself that it was for his daughters, the more depressed he felt. Slowly, he looked up and out at the water, a something dawned on him. What would happen if he just swam? Just swam farther and farther until the water swept over his head? How long would it take for his body to succumb to the cold water?

He entered the water again, wading once more until his feet no longer touched the sand. Then, he began to swim, determined to keep up the effort until his legs and arms got tired. That would be a perfect end, to swim to the conclusion of all his strife.

To Deuce's surprise, he did not get very far. The water had gone up to his neck at the precise moment he heard someone calling his name. He recognized the voice almost immediately. _Valentine!_

He turned around, seeing Valentine standing on the beach several feet away and waving to him. Deuce realized just how far he was from the shore, and what a stupid decision this was. _What was I thinking!?_ He thought bitterly. _Drowning myself over this!?_

As Deuce swam towards shore and clambered on to the land, Valentine backed away suddenly.

"Whoa!" Valentine covered his eyes. "Okay- why are you naked?"

Deuce found himself unable to answer. "I—I…oh, damn. I don't know," he turned away, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Valentine was staring at his lower parts shamelessly. When Deuce glanced back, Valentine looked away quickly. After an awkward pause, Valentine turned back.

"Is…everything all right?" he asked, stepping a bit closer. "I noticed you were swimming a little too far from the shore and I wondered if you were well."

"I'm-" What Deuce nearly said was, _I'm fine,_ but he couldn't bring himself to speak these words. Instead, his emotions took over and Deuce did something he hadn't done in a very long time: cry. "No, I'm not all right!" he sobbed, breaking down completely. "I'll never be all right—everything about me is a complete mess!"

Surprised, Valentine reached out and touched Deuce's bare shoulder. "Hey, it's all right! Look, don't cry, I-, oh, Deuce," putting an arm around him, Valentine led his friend to some rocks resting on the beach and sat down with him, handing him a tissue.

After a few minutes, Deuce finally managed to calm down. As he turned away and removed his glasses to wipe his eyes, Valentine inquired, "Do you need help?"

"Yes," Deuce sighed, putting his glasses back on and turning back to Valentine. "I do need help. I just feel like…I just feel like that I sacrifice my happiness for everyone else! It's like I always have to please everyone- Cleo, my daughters, my mom- everyone just expects so much from me! And I don't feel like there's anything else I can do for them. I've given up everything, but it doesn't seem to be enough!"

There was a pause, and Valentine gently took Deuce's hand in his own. "Then you need to leave," Valentine said softly, squeezing Deuce's hand. "You need to do what's right for you. Leave Cleo, if you can, and go find happiness."

Deuce chewed on his lip, shaking his head sadly. "But, my daughters…"

"You'll just have to deal with getting to see them on certain days," Valentine said in a thick voice. "I've learned to deal with only seeing Valentina on weekends and holidays, so I can help you,"

"But…" Deuce sighed, resting his head in his hands. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel like everything's just…over."

Valentine felt a sudden craving, and without thinking, he acted upon it. He got Deuce by the chin, tipping his face upwards and pressing their lips together in a rather awkward and needy kiss. Deuce didn't kiss back- he instead sat there in confusion as Valentine's teeth pressed lightly to the skin of his lips. This lasted for an uncomfortably long amount of time, and soon Valentine pulled away.

It took Valentine a moment to fully realize what he'd done, and he was embarrassed right away. "I'm so sorry!" he broke out suddenly, moving away a little. "I-I didn't mean to…I'm sorry,"

Deuce just sat there, totally muddled by what just happened. "You…you kissed me—but, why?"

"Because…" Valentine trailed off, turning away. There was a silence, and he turned back. "I love you,"

"Wait—you're in love with me?" Deuce tried to comprehend all this. "But…why?"

Valentine hid his face with his hands, too ashamed to look at the other. "It's just—I don't know! It's difficult to explain why I feel this way about you," he looked back up slowly, and he took a deep breath. "But if you need one explanation, it's this," he leaned a bit closer, his voice softening. "Not only do I find you very attractive, but you just can care about everyone so easily. I've always admired that about you, how you could just care about everyone to the extent that you do," a gentle smile appeared on Valentine's lips, but it soon disappeared. "But now I see that this is hurting you. Being kind shouldn't hurt, so I just feel like you need to focus on yourself, just long enough to be happy," a tear suddenly trailed down Valentine's cheek, and he stood up. "And…I'm sorry for what I just did. Unfortunately, I don't think I can make you happy. I may not know that much about love, but I know that I can't force you to love me," wiping the tear away, Valentine gave a simple nod. "See you later," with that, he turned and began to walk away.

"Valentine, wait,"

As the vampire stopped in his tracks, Deuce stood up and went to him. He took his hand in his own and just held it lightly, stepping a bit closer and kissing Valentine on the cheek very gently.

This time, Valentine was the confused one. "Deuce, what are you doing?"

Deuce planted little kisses along Valentine's cheek and jaw, whispering, "I'm being happy,"

"Deuce," Valentine protested, though he made no move to leave. "Deuce, please think about what you're doing. Cleo will kill us both if she finds out! Please, be sensible,"

"She never has to know," Deuce sighed, pulling Valentine into an embrace. This action was what made Valentine lose all resistance, and he slipped boneless against the gorgon's bare chest.

The sun was nearly up, and Deuce led Valentine to a spot on the beach where the large stones created a small hiding spot, perfect for hiding what was going to be happening next.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: What Now?

Deuce opened the cottage door, his heart thudding almost painfully against his chest. It wasn't until a few moments ago that everything he'd done that morning hit him, and now he was afraid for his well-being. If Cleo knew what he did, he would soon be dead.

Trembling, Deuce entered the cottage to find his mother sitting at the breakfast table all by herself. When Medusa noticed her son, she sprang up from the chair.

"Where were you!?" she hissed. "Why were you out so early!?"

Deuce swallowed hard. "M-Mom, calm down, please! I-I just went on a walk, that's all!"

Medusa glared at him, crossing his arms. "You lying to me?"

"Of course not!"

She let out a heavy sigh. "All right, fine. I'll buy it, and you're lucky Cleo's not up yet!"

Deuce smiled a bit weakly, leaning over and giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you were concerned, Mom," he walked down the hallway and peeked into the master bedroom, seeing Cleo was indeed asleep. Letting out a breath of relief, Deuce walked back to the kitchen to prepare some coffee for himself and Cleo.

About thirty minutes later, Cleo awoke and entered the kitchen. "Thank you, darling," she murmured as Deuce handed her a cup. "How long have you been awake?"

Before Deuce could respond, there was a loud pounding on the door. Medusa was up in a few seconds to answer it, and when the door swung open, Maggie stumbled in.

She was an absolute mess. Her brown hair was in a tangle, her makeup stained her cheeks as if she'd been crying, and she wore a dirty, sleeveless dress with knee socks.

Maggie took a moment to get her footing (as she was clearly drunk), and she took a deep breath. " _RAPE!_ " she howled, pointing in Deuce's direction. " _HE RAPED ME! TH-THAT'S RIGHT—THIS GUY!_ "

"What!?" Cleo exclaimed, shocked and disgusted.

"I did not!" Deuce said quickly, and he realized just how childish he sounded.

Sobbing, Maggie took another breath. "He just—he just was touchin' me and he tried to strip me!" she slurred, stumbling closer and pulling on the collar of Deuce's jacket. "Ya see this!? I ripped this off him while I was fighting him! See—" she reached into her pocket, pulling out the piece of fabric she'd torn off earlier. "I tore this off!"

Panicked, Deuce turned to Cleo to see what her response was. She was just standing completely still, tallying everything she'd just heard.

"When did this happen, Maggie?" Cleo inquired, her voice shaking.

"This morning—'bout 3:30 AM in the public garden!"

There was a long, painful pause. Deuce braced himself for what Cleo would do: would she attack him? Throw him out? Kill him? She knew now that he had been out that morning, so it was likely that—

"I don't believe you,"

Deuce froze. _What?_

Cleo stepped forward, getting in Maggie's face. "Do you honestly expect me to think that my husband would actually sink as low as to force himself on _you!?_ You probably think I'm stupid, don't you? And why would you tear part of his jacket if you were trying to get him away from you? You must think I'm an idiot."

Maggie's face fell. "B-but, he was outside! At three in the morning!"

"That's not my concern right now," Cleo said sharply, her eyes narrowing. "My concern is you trying to make up things that are certainly not true. Also, I can tell you're drunk, so who's drunk at 7:00 in the morning!?" Before Maggie could respond, Cleo shoved her. "Get out!" Cleo snapped, forcing her out the door. "Get out of my cottage!"

"This isn't your cottage!" Maggie snarled, suddenly alive. "This will be _my_ cottage, soon! I'm gonna m-marry your brother, and I'm gonna…! _I'M GONNA-_ "

"You won't be doing anything!" a voice cut in suddenly. Everyone looked up, seeing Ramses was approaching with a tape clutched in his hand and a very angry look on his face. When he neared Maggie, he grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the ground, kicking her in the stomach repeatedly. Maggie let out a hideous scream each time she was kicked, but after several blows to her stomach, her cries simmered to a whimper. Ramses stopped the kicking, and he straightened up. "I saw you," his voice was heavy with rage. "I saw what you tried to do. I have the security camera footage right here, so I will have no more of your lies! I want you out! You can forget marrying me, and you can pack up your things and go!"

Maggie struggled to her feet, her whole body shaking. "Y-you'll see!" she growled, backing away. "My dad will kill you! He'll kill you all! He'll-"

She turned suddenly and collapsed on the ground, vomiting in the bushes. After she completed this, she passed out.

As Ramses called for a cab to pick Maggie up and take her to Cladwell's house, Cleo quietly ushered Deuce inside.

"What were you doing outside at three in the morning?" she inquired, clearly annoyed.

"I went on a walk," he answered, taking a deep breath. "I was feeling depressed."

Cleo looked as if she wanted to yell, but she shook her head and stalked off. "Gorgons," she muttered. "I'll never understand them. I'll deal with you later, Deuce!"

Deuce waited for her to disappear into the bathroom so she could shower, and then he went into their bedroom. As he unplugged his iCoffin from the wall, he noticed there was one text from Valentine, and all it said was:

" _What now?"_

Deuce wasn't quite sure how to respond.

A bit farther away, in the small yet clean and operational Grand Island hospital, Heath waited patiently in an empty room for Abbey to return from her checkup. About fifteen minutes earlier, she'd finally given birth after a pregnancy in which she'd been a few days overdue, and while the doctors looked her over to see if she was healthy, Heath sat in the chair near the window with a newborn baby girl snuggled in his arms.

She had no name, but Heath was completely content with her at the moment as she yawned and curled her little hand into a fist. Heath chuckled a bit as his daughter grabbed his finger in her tiny palm.

"You're a cute one, aren't you?" he cooed softly, stroking her cheek. "God, you're so beautiful," as he leaned down to kiss her, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was one of the nurses, Heath called out, "You can come in!"

The door opened, and somebody Heath did not expect to see walked in. It was Ramses, and he had an unreadable expression on his face. He looked a bit tired.

"Hello, Heath Burns," Ramses greeted, nodding. "I see you have a child,"

"Uh, yeah," Heath clutched his daughter in his arms protectively, ready to defend her at all costs. "She's fifteen minutes old. What do you want?"

Ramses sighed, and his expression suddenly became miserable. "Please, Heath. I'm here to beg of you— _implore_ of you to please, please leave Jared be. I understand that what he did to you hurt you deeply, and I can recognize the fact that you want revenge, but please leave him alone. He is the love of my life, and I don't want to see him taken away again,"

There was a pause as Heath thought about what he just heard. The baby in his arms stretched a little and squeaked, and Heath rubbed her back.

"Can I just ask you something?" Heath spoke up, his voice quivering. "Why is Jared…here?"

Ramses was silent, and he crossed his arms. After taking a deep breath, he began. "I met Jared at one of his plays several years ago. I found him friendly and lively, we became friends immediately. We would go to the beach together, see movies, and do all sorts of amusing activities. After some time, however, I began to view him as more than a friend. When I discovered he was engaged to Harmony…well, I was heartbroken. I thought my chance with him was over. But then, Harmony died, and I figured I would let Jared's wound heal before I confessed my love for him. It was not long after that idea of mine that I heard the news," Ramses looked away for a moment, but then he looked back. "When I learned Jared was the murderer and that he himself had died in a train accident, my whole world crashed. I thought I was done for, that my days of happiness were at an end. But then, I discovered something," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black bottle with a cap shaped like a jackal's head. Hieroglyphics lined the sides of the bottle, but they were impossible to read or even remotely understand. "The Essence of Anubis. I've always had a stash of this potion in my home, but it was only used for protection purposes until I learned of its true power. You see, if a drop of this potion is placed on an item belonging to someone who is dead and if a special spell is recited, the dead individual reawakens in the form of a jackal. So, when I completed the spell, a jackal appeared by my bedside the next morning. After practicing my powers and learning a few new spells, I was able to transform him from beast to man whenever I pleased. And, now he is here."

The baby Heath was holding made a rather loud whining sound, and Heath adjusted her so she'd feel more comfortable. "But…why?" Heath asked, his voice a bit weaker. "Why would you bring him back? He's dangerous!"

"He isn't!" Ramses insisted. "You must understand that I'm trying to change him. He's made so much progress already. Just give him some time, and he'll be a changed man," Ramses looked down at the baby, and his eyes softened. "And another thing—I have another reason why you must let him live,"

Heath raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? What?"

"You see, Heath," Ramses sighed, beginning to pace. "I am a very wealthy creature, and I have adversaries wanting to dispose of me. Because of this, and because I am the only surviving male child in my family, I need to produce an heir just in case something happens. I am currently in the midst of perfecting another magic spell," he stopped pacing and turned to Heath. "A spell that will impregnate Jared,"

Heath's mouth fell open, and for several moments he did not speak. After a moment, though, he took a deep breath. "So you want me to leave Jared alone so you can do some Egyptian magic or whatever and get him pregnant?"

Ramses bit his lip and nodded, his face pleading and hopeful.

Heath glanced back down at his daughter, rubbing her cheek in the back of his thumb. "Honestly, I can't promise you anything," he looked back up, and a coy smile came to his face. "I'd love to see Jared knocked up, though. He'd look so ridiculous."

A slight chuckle escaped Ramses' lips, but he soon walked out without a word.

 **WHOOOOO I'M SO GLAD I FINSHED THIS**

 **I'm on February Break, now! Expect to see a bit more from me.**

 **What are your thoughts on this chapter? Are there any questions on your mind at the moment? Do you think Cleo will ever find out about Deuce and Valentine's little 'affair'? Could Ramses really change Jared for good, and would Jared actually allow himself to get pregnant? Let me know youre thoughts and musings!**

 **See you next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Esmeralda does a thing

 **Warning: This chapter contains violence and gore. You have been warned.**

The day had started out beautiful, and many of the vacationers had plans to go swimming. However, this was the day where things would change dramatically.

As young Tigerclaw awoke and fixed himself a piece of toast, his mother came in.

"Guess what?" she said, pouring herself a glass of water. "Heath and Abbey had their baby this morning, and it's a girl. How do you feel about…" she trailed off, a look of horror coming to her face. "My God, what's that on your forehead?!"

"Oh, this?" Tigerclaw gestured to the spiral, silver horn coming from his forehead. It wasn't long, but it was thin and sharp. "It's my unicorn horn," he stated, a hint of pride in his voice.

Toralei's jaw dropped. "Unicorn ho-!? Okay, that has to go!"

"But, mom," Tigerclaw protested. "I like my horn! I can do magic with it and it makes me _me!_ "

"I don't care!" Toralei argued, great irritation present in her voice. "For Pete's sake, kitten, it's a horn! You could hurt someone with it!"

Tigerclaw crossed his arms with a glare. "Why can't I keep it? Do I remind you of dad?"

Toralei growled low. "Tigerclaw…"

"I do, don't I?" Tigerclaw snarled, baring his teeth. "You know what I think? I think that you were the one who was mean! I think you treated dad badly! You know—sometimes I wish dad was here instead of you!"

" _TIGERCLAW, STOP IT!_ " Toralei raised her paw and struck her son across the cheek, making him cry out. " _YOU LITTLE BASTARD! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!_ "

Tigerclaw stumbled to the ground, and he immediately broke into heartbreaking sobs. Toralei regretted her action when she saw him cry in such a manner, and she bent down to his level.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, helping him up. "I'm sorry, kitten. Come on, sweetheart, w-what do you wanna do?" she took him into her arms, stroking his hair. "I promise, we can do something you like today. What do you think?"

Tigerclaw sniffled, pushing her away. "That's what you always say," he crossed his arms and turned away from her, his ears flattening against his head.

Toralei was silent, and then she stood up. "I-I'm gonna go visit Heath and Abbey, now," Tigerclaw still did not respond. She tried again. "Are you okay staying here?" when he did not answer, she gave up. "I won't be long," Toralei sighed finally, swallowing the lump in her throat.

As she took her purse off the counter and left the cottage, Tigerclaw looked in the direction of the closet and grinned mischievously.

"But I might be,"

Clawd and Draculaura arrived at the hospital with Dodger, Icer, and Flarah, and they ate breakfast in the hospital cafeteria.

"Are you excited for your new baby sister?" Draculaura asked Flarah, who was enjoying a croissant with some milk.

Flarah just nodded. "Yeah! She is the best sister," she took a bite of her croissant and grinned up at her brother. "And Icer is the best brother!"

Icer smiled at her and patted her head, and he went back to drawing in his notebook. Dodger, who was sitting beside Icer, leaned over to look at the drawings. "What's that?" Dodger inquired, pointing at one of the drawings with his breakfast sausage.

"This is a dragon who breathes ice instead of fire," Icer explained. "I saw it on TV last night, and I thought it was cool. So, I—oh, shoot!" he dropped his pen when he realized he'd accidently frozen it. "I wish I could stop doing that," he sighed glumly.

At this moment, somebody in the cafeteria caught Flarah's attention. "Daddy!" she squealed, jumping up and waving wildly. "Hi, Daddy!"

Heath walked right over and scooped Flarah up, kissing her cheek. "Hi, Flarah! I'm so glad you came!" he ran a hand through Icer's fiery hair and set Flarah back down where she'd been sitting. "I bet you're excited to see your sister, huh?"

"What does she look like?" Icer asked, putting his pen and notebook back in his bag and getting up.

"Well, how about we go see?" Heath grinned, taking Flarah's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Is Abbey doing all right?" Draculaura asked as she stood up. "I know she was a few days overdue and she was a little worried,"

Heath nodded. "She's fine. I think she's just happy that she's not pregnant anymore!"

Heath led them to Abbey's room, where they found Abbey lying on the bed with the baby snuggled in her arms. As they entered, Abbey grinned up at them and beckoned them to come closer.

"Little sister has been waiting to see you," Abbey said in a soft voice as Flarah tried to climb on the bed. Heath helped Flarah climb up beside her mother, and Abbey stroked her daughter's cheek. Flarah clapped her hands in delight at her newborn sister.

"She is a cute sister!" Flarah remarked, touching the infant's head with her small hand and giving the baby a big kiss.

"Does she have a name?" Icer asked, reaching in and letting the baby grab his finger.

Abbey shook her head. "No, your sister does not have name, but she will get one," when the baby stirred and grunted softly, Abbey stroked her cheek and said tenderly, "Sladkaya devochka , ty takaya krasivaya,"

Icer leaned a little closer and kissed his baby sister's forehead. "Ona krasivaya, kak vash , Mom,"

Heath looked at his son in surprise. "Since when did you learn Russian!?"

Icer simply grinned up at his father, and then he focused his attention back to the baby.

Some time passed, and soon Cleo and Deuce arrived at the hospital to visit the new baby. Viper and Dusa had been left in the care of Medusa, who had plans to take them shopping. When the couple entered the hospital room, Cleo couldn't help but make a fuss over the newborn.

"Oh, what a sweet little child!" she cooed, poking the infant's cheek. "My Ra, oh, Deuce- don't you remember when Viper and Dusa were this tiny?"

"I do," Deuce smiled, nodding. "They were smaller than that, though,"

At this moment, Deuce noticed that Heath seemed a bit uneasy. Concerned, Deuce went to investigate.

"You okay, man?" Deuce asked quietly.

Heath let out a heavy sigh. "It's just…it's Jared,"

Clawd, who was nearby, rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Heath. Can you just forget about him? You just had a baby, for God's sakes!"

"I know that! But…see, Ramses told me earlier that he had plans to..." he swallowed thickly. "He's gonna get Jared pregnant using magic,"

Deuce quirked an eyebrow. "Why is that so upsetting to you? If Jared has a baby, that might turn him into a better person,"

"But what if it doesn't?" Heath inquired a bit worried. "Back when he and Harmony were together, she told me that he didn't want a kid, that he hated kids. And he abused Harmony, and killed her, too! If she wasn't safe with him, why would a small, helpless baby be safe with him!?"

Clawd tried to calm him down. "Heath, relax. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think,"

"It's just not fair," Heath muttered. "Harmony always wanted a baby, but she died before she got a chance to. Now Jared gets a chance to have baby- something he didn't even want to begin with! It's not fair."

The door to the hospital room opened, and in walked Valentine and Howleen with Anne Marie and Valentina traveling close behind. As they greeted Heath, Abbey and the new baby, Deuce noticed that Heath was still upset.

"Heath," Deuce pulled his friend aside. "Do you wanna go on a walk? It might help you take your mind off things."

Heath nodded silently, and Clawd stepped forward. "I'll go, too,"

As they prepared to go on the walk, Cleo inquired, "Going on another walk, Deuce?"

"This one shouldn't take very long," Deuce assured. "We're just gonna walk Heath around the island for a bit and come right back. And I promise that I'll text you this time," As he turned to go, he took notice of the fact that Valentine was standing all alone in the corner, watching as Howleen showed Valentina how to properly hold the baby. "Val?" Deuce called, getting the vampire's attention. "Wanna come with us?"

Valentine glanced to make sure his daughters were occupied, and he soon tagged along. When they were out in the hallway, Valentine affectionately brushed Deuce's arm with his own, gazing at him through bright eyes. Deuce simply rubbed his thumb and Valentine's wrist, turning away as the left the hospital.

The sun shone brightly, and Valentine kept his umbrella wide open to shield himself from the rays. The grass rustled beneath their feet as they continued walking, but then Clawd stopped abruptly.

"Is that an elephant?" Clawd asked, rather dumbfounded.

Deuce nodded. "Yeah. Her name is Esmeralda, and she just lives here," as he watched Esmeralda munch on a branch, he saw somebody coming over the hill towards them. It seemed to be four figures: two women and two small children.

"I wonder who that is," Valentine murmured, squinting at the figures. They came closer and closer, and Deuce noticed at this moment that one of the women was holding a gun. And then, there came a feeling of dread.

The group stopped dead in their tracks as Maggie approached with Viper, Dusa and Medusa all walking beside her. She held a gun to their heads and prodded each one of them to walk faster.

Deuce rushed over once he realized what was happening, and he placed his fingers on his glasses, preparing to petrify Maggie.

"That won't work, snake boy," Maggie smirked. "My daddy put a spell on me to keep me safe from your powers. Now, you gorgons are all helpless!"

Clawd snarled and started to move towards Maggie, but she pointed the gun at him, too. "and these bullets are silver! So you should stay where you are,"

"Maggie, what is this about!?" Deuce hissed, ready to attack. "Is this because of what happened earlier!?"

"Yes!" Maggie snapped, jabbing the gun into Viper's side and making her yelp. "You humiliated me! And now, it's my turn!"

Whether or not Maggie was actually going to shot one of them, no one can say. It was the terrified, shrill scream of young Dusa that got the attention of Esmeralda the elephant.

A loud trumpeting rang through the air, and Maggie whirled around in shock. Medusa took this as an opportunity and grabbed the hands of her granddaughters, bolting away with them. Maggie turned back and prepared to shoot, but Esmeralda had other ideas.

Her huge trunk came sweeping in, knocking Maggie off her feet and to the ground. Maggie yelled and tried to stand up, shooting her gun wildly in the air but hitting nothing. Esmeralda trumpeted again, lifting up her foot and smashing it down again, crushing Maggie's body like papier-mâché.

The moment Deuce's daughters returned to him, he averted their eyes from the gruesome scene, watching in shock as Esmeralda removed her foot from the crushed body and went back to eating the tree branches like nothing happened. A stunned silence filled the air, and after a moment it was broken by slow, shocked footsteps.

It was Cladwell. His mouth hung open in shock as he stared at the body of his daughter, mangled and twisted in the grass. No one made a sound as Cladwell bent down and examined her with disbelief.

"Maggie-!" He choked out, lifting up her bloodied head and trying to figure out what to do.

Finally, Deuce spoke up. "Cladwell, I—,"

" _SHUT UP!_ " Cladwell snapped, suddenly alive. " _DO NOT SPEAK! THIS IS YOUR ENTIRE FAULT!_ "

"Drákon, it wasn't his fault," Medusa said thickly, stepping closer. "Maggie out this on herself,"

"Do not speak a foul word about my daughter!" Cladwell snarled, his voice shaking. Suddenly, his body began to mutate.

His teeth grew long and sharp, and shiny, green scales began to cover his body. His eyes went from green to bright yellow, and a pair of wings sprouted from his back. Much to everyone's horror, Cladwell had morphed into a dragon within thirty seconds.

The dragon, now about the same size as Esmeralda (who wasn't paying attention), roared and flapped his wings. The stone around his neck flashed three times, and the group suddenly experienced a flash of vibrant colors and brightness.

Deuce found himself lying on a dirt path. He got up and looked around, seeing that they were on the side of a very tall mountain. They sky around them was pink, and yet there were stars. As Deuce looked around to make sure everyone was there and safe, he looked over at Valentine, who looked quite shocked as well.

"Where are we?" Heath asked.

Medusa stood up, ushering Viper and Dusa close to her. "I don't think we're on Grand Island anymore,"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Limbo

Young Dodger was painfully bored.

He slumped down in his chair and stared at the door, sighing as he listened to the incessant chatter of the adults in the room. Beside him, Icer quietly amused himself with a crossword puzzle, stopping every now and again to sip a bit of his juice. Anne Marie had fallen asleep on a small cot in the corner, and she appeared to be sleeping soundly despite all the conversation.

It wasn't until Dodger watched Icer write the word " _ESSSENTIAL"_ in the tiny squares that everything became too much.

"I hate this!" Dodger exasperated, throwing his arms in the air. "There's nothing to do, I want to watch TV, and Dad's been gone for too long!"

Draculaura, his mother, went to him and patted his head. "We'll leave soon, my blessed precious! Don't you worry,"

"You know," Frankie spoke up, a bit of worry present in her voice. "How long have the guys been on this 'walk'?"

"For about twenty minutes," Cleo explained. "And I'm getting a bit nervous as well. I texted Deuce, but the messages aren't sending. It seems he's in a place with no service,"

At this moment, Anne Marie awoke with a start, gasping in surprise and looking around frantically. As Valentina went to her sister quickly to comfort her, the discussion about what to do continued.

"We should try calling the others, like Clawd, Heath or Valentine," Jackson suggested. "I feel like one of them would have the ability to respond. Or, maybe we could-"

"I know where they are!" Anne Marie spoke up suddenly. All attention became focused on her at once.

"You do?" Frankie asked in surprise. "But how?"

Anne Marie swallowed hard, slipping down from the cot and planting her feet on the floor. "Just now, I had a dream where I saw them. it was like I was watching a movie, like I saw them but I couldn't talk to them, and they were on this really tall mountain and the sky was pink stars. They were walking around all confused, but then this dragon flew in and started attacking them! And then, a unicorn ran in and shot a beam at the dragon and it disappeared! That was the last thing I remember,"

There was a silence in the room, and Jackson shook his head. "If what you saw was real, then I'm not sure how you could get to them. Does anyone have any ideas?"

As the adults tried to figure out what to do, Icer suddenly slipped down from his chair and left the room, wandering out in the hallway. Concerned, his friend Valentina came to see what the matter was.

"Are you okay, Icer?" Valentina inquired.

Icer nodded, lost deep in thought. "I'm okay, but I just—" he took a deep breath. " Tigerclaw told me the day before yesterday that he walked into his closet and there was this forest and a pink sky. He also said there was a unicorn, too," he looked at Valentina, his eyes full of curiosity. "Maybe they're at the same place?"

Anne Marie had slipped into hallway as Icer was speaking, and as he finished, she spoke up. "Maybe if we walk through that closet, we can find them,"

While the adults were too occupied to notice, the children made a plan to go to Tigerclaw's cottage and somehow walk through the closet to get to the lost adults. As they went on their way, Dodger, with nothing else to do, simply followed them, though he knew not what was going on.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Draculaura noticed the young ones were missing. "Now, where did the _children_ go!?"

Elsewhere, little Viper climbed out from beneath a cluster of rocks, trembling and whimpering with fear. Her grandmother, Medusa, scooped her up and cradled her.

"Don't be afraid—the dragon is gone," she said softly.

Deuce, who was near the base of the mountain with Dusa, peeked out and stared at the unicorn who'd just saved them. it became clear that this unicorn was not Napoleon, for Napoleon had sliver hair while this unicorn had shimmering black hair. This unicorn was, judging by the physique and face, a female.

She walked towards them, and her body began to glow. After a few seconds, she transformed into a human who carried a staff similar to Napoleon's. She wore a long, dark blue dress and a black cape around her shoulders.

"Hello, there," she greeted, bowing her head slightly. "My name is Morgana. You do not know me, but I am Napoleon's older sister,"

Clawd was the one to creep out from behind a rock and get close to Morgana, clearing his throat. "H-hi, could you please tell us where we are?"

"You are in Limbo," Morgana explained. "Drákon Cladwell, the dragon wizard, teleported you here, most likely with the intention of killing you. For when you die here, you stay here forever, unless the Master of the universe decides to take you with him,"

"'Master of the universe'?" Medusa repeated, but she never got an answer.

" _JARED!_ " Heath screamed, and he bolted towards Ramses and Jared (who were coming up the hill).

Heath tried to tackle Jared, but Ramses shot him back with a quick motion of his hand. When Heath was down on the ground, Ramses lay his hand on Heath's neck, and a blue light glowed from the contact. Heath's body jolted, and he was paralyzed almost instantly.

"Ramses!" Morgana scolded, dashing over and bending down beside Heath. "You should know better than to do that trick on others," she placed her hands on Heath's shoulder blades, and his body loosened. As soon as Heath had regained motion, he tried to get up again to attack Jared, but Morgana held him back by the collar of his shirt. "You relax! Everyone, please relax, or I'll summon the Master of The universe,"

Jared snickered a bit at Heath, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Yeah, relax, Heath,"

"Hush your hot tongue," Morgana snapped, giving Jared a glare. "The Master has been waiting to speak with you for quite some time, Jared Parker,"

"Morgana, please," Ramses begged, clasping his hands together. "Leave Jared be! I don't like to think of what the Master would do,"

Jared rolled his eyes. "Yeah, some 'Master'. If he's so almighty and powerful, where is he? Huh?"

Heath, unable to get to Jared due to Morgana's magic, simply picked up a stone and tossed it in Jared's direction. He missed, and the rock landed right beside Jared's left foot.

Morgana finally lost her patience. "You leave me no choice!" her staff glowed, and she slammed it on the ground and murmured something beneath her breath. Those present expected a bright light or a flash, but that was not what happened.

There was only the sound of a gentle wind, and a low voice said, "Peace, and be silent," heads turned to the figure standing nearby, dressed in long, fine robes. He was a powerfully built man, with a veil covering his face. He came closer, his footsteps silent and slow. Everyone was still with awe as he approached, touching Heath's shoulder gently as he got closer and reaching out a finger to brush Morgana's cheek.

"Tell me," The Master began, his voice still gentle and calming to hear. "What is this all about? All this petty arguing—what is it for?"

It took Heath several moments before he composed himself enough to speak. "T-that man," he pointed at Jared, his arm quivering. "Years ago, he-he killed my sister—he did so many horrible things, and…I want to hurt him for it!"

The Master said nothing for a moment, slowly turning and fixating his gaze on Jared. "Jared Andrew Parker," The Master sighed finally as he got close. "It saddens me, what you have become. You are so intelligent, so talented, and you destroyed your own life. There is still time, for you have a second chance. Please repent and beg for forgiveness, and this new life of yours can still be salvaged,"

All of the sudden, Jared flared up in rage. "You shut up!" he snapped, full of anger. "You don't know anything about me!"

"But, I do," The Master said, remaining calm and collected. "I know you, Jared. I've known you before you were even born,"

"Then where have you been!?" Jared snapped, stamping his foot angrily. "If you claim to know me so well, where were you!? Where were you ten years ago- twenty years ago!? Where were you when I was new, when I was still a kid—before my idiot cousin did what he did to me!?" swallowing hard, Jared looked up into the hidden face of the Master and shouted, "How dare you?! How dare you come to me now—when I am _THIS!?_ "

The Master placed a hand on Jared's shoulder, but Jared shook the hand off and turned away, refusing to look at The Master. "Jared, please listen to me,"

"No!" with that, Jared turned and bolted off towards the peak of the mountain, running fast and not looking back.

Ramses tried to go after his love, but The Master held him back. "Let him go, Ramses," The Master said, a hint of amusement present in his voice. "The only way Jared can learn what he has to learn is through what he is about to do,"

 **GOSH I'm so glad I finished this! Sorry it's so short, I'm really tired and I need to sleep soon...**

 **Are there any questions you have so far? What do you think is going to happen with Jared? Can the outcome of all this be good? Let me know your thoughts and theories!**

 **Until next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Edge of Reality

 **Warning: this chapter contains sexual content and other situations some readers may find disturbing. You have been warned.**

Jared ran and ran up the mountain, never looking back to see if someone was following him. After several minutes of running, he finally stopped to catch his breath and look around. He was alone, no one had gone after him. He was on the tallest section of the mountain, where the smoky gray clouds gathered and the sky went from pink to musty white. Ramses had told him about this; this section of the mountain was called ' _Labium Veritatis_ ', or 'Edge of Reality'. Beyond this place was ' _sine re_ ', or 'The Place without Reality'. With a glance back down the mountain, he took a deep breath and entered Sine Re.

There was nothing. Everything was white, and everything was silent. As Jared walked down this wide hallway of no reality, he began to think. This tranquil place sent memories stirring in his mind, memories he wished to forget, but never could.

His mind took him back to a sunny place. As his focus sharpened, this place soon became his aunt Rhonda's backyard in the summertime. The leaves rustled in the wind as Jared, about seven years old at this time, drank some lemonade on the porch with his sister Sophie, who was ten years old. Sitting beside them and listening to his Mp3 player was their oldest cousin: Raymond.

Raymond was thirteen years old and a football player. A bit of an introvert, Raymond seldom spoke to anyone outside of his family and usually spent time with his sports or his videogames. Jared liked Raymond all right; Raymond would play with him and talk to him sometimes. However, they were not particularly close, and what Raymond was planning on doing wouldn't strengthen their relationship—it would destroy it.

Jared and Sophie were staying with aunt Rhonda since their parents were going on an overnight trip in the mountains. Raymond told Jared during dinner that evening that they could share the same room that night, since Rhonda was having issues constructing a futon. Young Jared happily agreed to sharing the room (due to the fact that Raymond owned a collection of action figures, something Jared was interested in), and that night he set up his sleeping bag in the corner of the room.

At the time, Jared didn't know what happened to him. He'd just smoothed his pillow out and curled the sleeping bag around his little body when Raymond's hand suddenly fell on his shoulder.

"What is it, Raymond?" Jared asked meekly, looking up. The room was dark, so Jared couldn't quite see Raymond's face, but he heard his heavy breathing and felt his hands moving downwards.

"Consider it an early birthday present," Raymond said huskily, grabbing the back of Jared's head and keeping it still on the pillow.

Jared froze completely as Raymond did the deed, and all the while Raymond whispered to Jared that if he ever told anybody, he'd get beat up. Being so young, Jared didn't know what was happening, but all he know was that he felt scared and in pain.

The whole thing was long—about fifteen minutes. When Raymond finally finished, Jared was shaking and whimpering softly, and Raymond released his little cousin's head gently. Raymond said nothing, and he just stood up and went back to his bed like nothing happened. Jared just lay there in shock for several minutes until he heard Raymond's quiet snores from beneath the sheets. At this moment, something warm began to dribble down Jared's leg, and he panicked. He got up from the sleeping bag in a flash, slipping out of the dark room and into the hallway.

He went in to the bathroom and switched the light on, his heart pounding furiously when he noticed the copious amount of blood running down his legs. Little fingers trembling, he snatched a washcloth from the laundry basket and wet it beneath the faucet, bringing it down to clean himself with. There was so much blood, and after a few minutes Jared had almost forgotten where it was coming from.

The door opened suddenly, and Jared whirled around. It was Rhonda, and she was just standing there opened mouthed. "My God!" Rhonda exclaimed, running over and scooping Jared up. "What happened to you!?"

"N-nothing!" Jared squeaked out, remembering what Raymond said to him. "I just…I…I…-!"

Rhonda closed the seat of the toilet and sat down on it, laying Jared across her lap. She looked him over, eyes narrowing. "Someone was touching you. Who was it?"

"No one!"

"You're lying!" Rhonda snapped, making Jared jump. "Who was it!?"

Jared swallowed hard, giving up. "It was…it was Raymond,"

Rhonda went silent. She looked towards the door, and then back down at Jared. "Okay, now," she said in a soft voice, getting up while still holding Jared. "Get in the tub—you're gonna get a bath,"

She bathed him, staying silent all the while. Jared felt terrified—Raymond would hurt him all over again. However, Raymond never did. After this stay, what happened was never mentioned again. Raymond never talked about it, and Aunt Rhonda never called the authorities. Raymond was never punished.

Jared had actually forgotten about the incident. The memory never crossed his mind until he was well into his twenties (specifically, two years before he killed his girlfriend, Harmony Burns), and he received a letter from Raymond. In the letter, Raymond apologized for what he did, explaining that he didn't know it was wrong at the time and that he understood if Jared didn't want to contact him. " _The purpose of this letter,"_ Raymond wrote, " _Is to tell you that I am so very, very sorry for what I did. I'm just so sorry, and not a day goes by that I don't think about what I did and how much it hurt you,"_

The wound reopened, and suddenly Jared was upset. He realized upon reading the letter that he didn't want an apology—he wanted vengeance. The thought of forgiveness in a situation like this seemed unfathomable, and he kept a picture of Raymond on his dresser to look at every morning so each day he'd hate him a little more. When he began doing this, he suddenly started to change. He was bitter and angry, he stopped caring about those he'd previously loved, and he became depressed and even suicidal. Every night, he'd cry and think about ways to kill himself or Raymond. His suffering and anger was unlimited, and he began to unhinge.

Killing Harmony and Growler was just practice. He'd been looking for an excuse to kill Harmony, and when he found a text from Growler on her phone containing pornography, he suddenly had a reason. After the blood of Growler had been washed off in the sink, Jared smirked as he decided that Raymond was next.

But he never got his vengeance.

Jared stopped walking as he happened upon five stone pillars in the middle of the nothingness. A feeling of triumph filled him, for he'd just reached the Five Stones of Divinity. Now, there were several legends regarding what the stones were—some said they were the fingers of God himself, others said they marked the point of nothing (odd, because there was indeed something), and there were stories of the pillars being warriors who had frozen there because they'd gone too far. Whatever the case, Jared was standing before them with a feeling of giddiness.

"Ha!" he grinned, turning behind him to look. "Where are you now, 'Master Of The Universe'!? Ha, some master," he turned back to the stones, pulling out his pocket knife and carving his name of the tallest one (which was in the center). And, for good measure, he spit on the stone, marking it. With that, he turned around to travel back and tell the others what he'd seen and done.

Back on the mountain, Ramses looked up eagerly as he waited for his lover to return. Beside him stood the Master, who stayed silent as he just stared up the mountain as well. Nearby, Morgana was sitting on a stone and talking to Viper and Dusa, telling them all kinds of stories.

As Deuce watched Morgana tell all her tales, Valentine approached him quietly. "Deuce, I- well…" as their eyes met, Valentine looked away a little sheepishly. "About this morning—"

" _I DID IT!_ " a voice yelled, and everyone focused back on the mountain. Jared was sprinting down towards them, and suddenly he broke into a leap and rolled down the mountainside. Ramses ran to him and caught him, and the two both tumbled down the rest of the way. When they were finally on the ground, Jared gave Ramses a big kiss on the forehead and struggled to his feet, panting and looking up into the face of the Master. "I made it to the Divinity stones!" Jared panted, a wicked smile on his face. "Where were you, huh?! I bet you couldn't even see me!"

The Master chuckled, slowly lifting up his right hand. "Really? The Five Stones of Divinity? You made it all the way there?"

Jared nodded with pride. "That's what I said! I even wrote my name on the center pillar,"

"And you spit on it, too," The Master added.

Jared's face fell. "W…what?"

The Master unfurled his hand, beckoning Jared. "Come look at my hand, Jared,"

Jared looked down at the Master's palm, and his went pale with terror. "But how can…!? Oh, God!" he suddenly fell to his knees, backing away in horror. There, on the Master's middle finger, was Jared's name and a tiny puddle of saliva.

"Jared," The Master said, leaning down to where the terrified young man knelt in the dust of the mountain. "Do you wish to repent of your sins?"

Jared trembled, staring into the veiled face of the Master. There was some silence, and Jared suddenly became alive. "Never!"

The Master sighed. "Then you shall face the consequences," he lifted up the veil covering his head and revealed his face. Nobody else except Jared saw that face, and for years to come, Jared would never be able to recall what he saw. The others all watched as Jared's face became laden with fear again, and tears streamed down his face. "From this day forth," the Master said, his voice no longer calm and gentle. "You will be struck blind and mute until you forgive those who have hurt you and you repent of your own sins. Until then, you shall not see and you shall not speak,"

With that statement, the Master vanished, and they never saw him again.

Jared rose up slowly, and he tried to take a step forward. He fell into the dirt, and Ramses rushed to him instantly. "Jared!" Ramses tucked his finger beneath Jared's chin, turning his face up to look at him. Jared's eyes were shut tightly, and a coating that almost looked like scales covered his eyelids. Jared panted softly, opening up his mouth like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, after a few minutes of trying, he leaned into Ramses' chest and clung to him like a child. He almost seemed like a different person—so sad and pathetic. "Oh, Jared," Ramses shook his head sadly, resting his chin on the other's head and just keeping it there.

Heath wanted to laugh at him, but Valentine, for a brief moment, felt pity for this man. The feelings of pity were soon replaced by an odd feeling of victory. The man who had hurt him might finally see the error of his ways, and maybe he'd change. However, Valentine wasn't looking to forgive; he was looking to move on, and he wanted Jared to do this, too.

As Ramses comforted Jared, Deuce approached Valentine quietly. "So," he began, getting Valentine's attention. "What were you saying?"

"Oh, I-," Valentine realized that he suddenly had nothing important to say, and he simply rubbed Deuce's arm. "It…wasn't important,"

Clawd watched the two mansters from a few feet away, and he sighed. "It was nice knowing them," he muttered, trying once again to get some sort of signal on his phone.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Closet

The wind blew through the tall grass with a rush as the group of children neared Toralei's cottage. It was mid-afternoon at this point, and the children had been walking for several minutes. Yet, as they approached the small cottage, they noticed something very peculiar.

"The door is gone!" Anne Marie exclaimed in surprise. "Look—it's in the grass!"

Indeed, it was true. The door appeared to have been ripped from its hinges, and as the children drew near, they realized that some of the windows were shattered as well. Clearly, something had happened.

"I don't like this," Dodger whined, trying to leave. Valentina grabbed his wrist to hold him back.

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "You're gonna come with us, Rodger!"

Icer cocked his head to the side. "Who's Rodger?"

"Stop it!" Dodger snapped, but Valentina ignored him.

"It's his real name," she explained with a smirk. "But when he was little, he couldn't say his R's and we started calling him 'Dodger',"

This was the last straw, and Dodger plopped down in the grass with his arms crossed. "I am not coming!" he insisted, close to tears. "I'm gonna sit right here and watch all you guys get in trouble!"

The children all exchanged their glances, and Anne Marie, Valentina and Icer headed for the cottage and left Dodger behind. Yet as Dodger sat in the grass, he suddenly began to feel very scared. He thought he heard someone walking around in the trees nearby, though he didn't see anything. His little heart trembled, and he soon stood up quickly and trailed after the others.

The inside of the cottage looked as though there had been an explosion. Chairs were overturned, broken and scattered, glass shards lay on the floor, and blackened, soot streaks covered the walls. The children wandered around the cottage curiously, muttering quietly about their observations.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Anne Marie noticed a strange light omitting from the upstairs room. She wandered towards it, walking cautiously up the stairs and peeking into the room. After a few seconds, she turned and ran quickly down to the others.

"Guys!" she hissed in a whisper, stopping the other children in their tracks. "Guys, come look! I found something!"

She led them upstairs to a small bedroom. The lights were shut off, but another light glowed from the coat closet. As the children approached, they heard birds chirping and leaves rustling, and they peeked in curiously. A forest lay ahead, and it all seemed very real.

Upon seeing this, Icer was the one to become antsy. "I-I think we should go," he stammered nervously, his little fingers twitching.

"What, you scared?" Dodger teased.

"You were scared earlier!" Icer retorted angrily.

"Guys!" Anne Marie snapped, getting the boys' attention. "Stop fighting, now!"

The children were unsure of what to do, until Anne Marie took a step into the closet. She looked around the forest and gasped in surprise. "Wait a minute," she said aloud. "I know where this is!" the pink sky with stars was the dead giveaway for her, and she scurried into the forest. "Come on!" she called, beckoning the others. "Maybe we can find our parents!"

With much hesitation, the other children entered and followed Anne Marie, who seemed very sure of herself.

Elsewhere, further into the forest, young Tigerclaw searched frantically through the trees for his father.

"Napoleon!" he cried out, stopping to catch his breath. "Napoleon, where are you!?" when there was still no answer, Tigerclaw finally gave up, collapsing in the grass and bursting into tears. "D-Dad…" he choked out, hiccupping.

"Tigerclaw?"

Tigerclaw looked up, seeing the unicorn standing above him. In an instant, Tigerclaw threw his arms around his father's neck, sobbing and wiping his tears in the soft mane.

After a few moments, a pair of arms folded around Tigerclaw, and he realized that his father had changed into his human form. Napoleon pulled away, bending down and wiping away his son's grimy tears.

"What has gotten you so upset, my son?" Napoleon inquired, concern present in his voice.

Tigerclaw wiped his nose and sniffled. "F-first Mom wants me to cut my horn off, and then when I came to see you, something exploded in my face and hurt me! See?" Tigerclaw showed Napoleon the burn marks, which he'd washed earlier in the stream. They weren't very noticeable, but they were quite painful.

Napoleon gently pressed his fingertips to the damaged flesh, examining it. After a few minutes, he swept his hand across the wounds and they healed. When this was done, he drew Tigerclaw near and kissed him on his forehead. "Come with me," he whispered, picking Tigerclaw up and carrying him. "I'll take you to where I go when I want to be alone,"

The group of children had been walking for quite a few minutes, now. The others were beginning to think that Anne Marie really didn't know where she was going, and it wasn't until they came across a grassy hill that Dodger finally could no longer stand it.

"You don't know where you're going, do you!?" Dodger snapped in an irritated tone.

Anne Marie chewed on her lip nervously, wringing her hands. "Well…I think –I…" her throat tightened, and she began to weep. "Oh, I'm so stupid! We're lost—no one will ever find us!" Her sister, Valentina, went to her instantly.

"Don't cry, Anne!" Valentina begged, putting her arms around her sister. "It's okay, we'll be fine!"

As Valentina comforted her sister, Icer noticed something in the distance. "Wait a second," he murmured, squinting to get a better look. After a few moments, he pulled back in surprise. "There's a house, way over there," he pointed to it. "Maybe there's someone who could help us!"

Anne Marie perked up a bit. "A-a house?" she dried her eyes and turned to look. "A house! Oh, now I think I know where we are!"

Obviously, Anne Marie assumed this was the house where Jared and Sophie were. Yet as they neared the house, it became clear that this was different. Jared and Sophie's house was a gold color, while this was a deep red with gold siding. In fact, it was more of a mansion than a house. Anne Marie's excitement soon vanished as she got a better look at the house.

"This isn't the same place at all," she said glumly, sitting down on a nearby log and letting out a sigh. "We're lost,"

It was at this moment that Dodger felt someone watching them. He turned around and gasped in surprise when he realized there was someone sitting on the porch on the magnificent house, just swinging back and forth slowly on the swing.

She was a stunningly beautiful woman, with pale skin and dark red hair. Her black suit was sharp and fine-looking, and the gold chain necklace that hung around her neck glittered with the stars of the pink sky. Her green eyes flickered up at the children, and she set down the book she was holding and rose up to meet them.

"You're lost?" she asked in a deep, soothing voice. "Would you like some help?"

The children were struck speechless at the sight of her, and several uncomfortable moments passed before Anne Marie finally spoke up.

"Y-yes," she swallowed nervously, standing up. "I was…we were looking for Jared's house,"

The woman nodded slowly. "Jared…I see…come in, I can help you," as she led them inside, she said, "You can call me Ms. Applegate, and I can fetch you anything you'd like. All you have to do is ask,"

The children still said nothing as she ushered them inside a cozy living room with a fireplace and several red couches. Ms. Applegate stroked Anne Marie's hair before she left the room. "I won't be long," she assured, and the door was shut.

After a pause, a cluster of snow globes on the fireplace caught Anne Marie's attention. She rose up to look at them, but a certain one caught her attention. It was a mountain, and not even a pretty mountain, either. It was dusty and brown and not very appealing to look at, but Anne Marie realized that she'd seen it before. It was the mountain that was in her dream, the one she'd seen the adults on, and as she looked closer inside the snow globe, she noticed tiny specks gathered at the bottom of the mountain. She wanted to investigate a bit more, but something else got her attention (and the attention of the other children as well).

"Were you children alone for very long?" a voice asked. It was a woman, but it wasn't Ms. Applegate. This voice was squeaky and obnoxious, and it was almost painful to hear. The children looked, and it seemed that the voice was coming from a dark hallway to the left. The figure of a short, skinny woman soon became visible, and she slowly came towards them.

"Poor, sweet little things," she sighed, easing slowly into the light. "Well, you're safe here. Just keep calm," she made herself visible, and her lipstick caked mouth stretched into a wide, vampire toothed smile. "And trust me,"

 **WHOOOOOO FINALLY**

 **I'm so sorry this is late! My dad was doing some work on the computer, and I had to wait for a turn.**

 **I am finished with my musical! It went quite well, and now I can focus on this as well as my schoolwork. As you've probably guessed, this story will be very long.**

 **Thoughts on this chapter? What do you think is going on? Who is Ms. Applegate? What about the vampire? Can either of them be trusted? What about Napoleon? As always, I'm eager for your thoughts!**

 **Until next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Snow Globe

 **Note: Long chapter is LOOOOOOOOOOOONG**

Napoleon led his son through the woods and to a wide lake, where he knelt down as they approached.

"Look here," Napoleon said gently, gesturing to the water. Tigerclaw looked at the water, and his eyes wide went with astonishment. Napoleon chuckled at the boy's reaction. "What do you see?"

Tigerclaw squinted. "I see…I see more unicorns!"

Napoleon nodded. "Yes, and what are they doing?"

"Uh…playing?"

"Yes," Napoleon smiled, putting an arm around his son. "They're out for a frolic, actually. You see, what you're seeing is simply a reflection of the past. This happened many, many years ago, in the Rose Valley, which is near Normandy."

Tigerclaw studied the image for a few moments. The water almost seemed like a TV screen playing the images of the unicorns as they frolicked and played. However, a certain baby unicorn, tripping and trying to walk, came stumbling in on the scene. The little creature had been born recently, as evidenced by the slickness of its pelt.

"Do you see that unicorn foal? The one right near the lilac bush?" Napoleon inquired.

"Yeah?"

"That's me," Napoleon smiled fondly at the image of his younger self. "I had just been born moments earlier. My father, Nicodemus, sent me off to play with the others while my mother gave birth to my sister, Morgana,"

"You have a sister?" Tigerclaw asked, amazed.

Napoleons smile faded, and he suddenly became very sad. "I did," he said softly. "But…she died,"

Tigerclaw leaned against his father, clinging to him with his little paws. "How did she die?"

"She was killed by hunters," Napoleon's voice sharpened suddenly, and the image on the water changed. It was now of Napoleon as a unicorn, inching slowly towards the limp body of another unicorn. Tigerclaw watched as Napoleon tipped his horn to the unicorn in the grass, desperately trying to heal her. After several tries, he gave up and began to weep. Seeing a unicorn cry was a heartbreaking thing to watch, and Tigerclaw began to feel sadness well up in him as the scene continued to play out in front of him. He looked to Napoleon, who was turned away.

"Why are you showing me this, Dad?" Tigerclaw asked, looking up at his father.

Napoleon stayed silent for several moments, and then he turned to his son. Tigerclaw was surprised to see that Napoleon's eyes were moist with tears, though he did not weep. "My son," Napoleon said, his voice shaking. "I want to tell you everything. Your mother may have told you about me, but she doesn't know the full story. Almost no one does,"

"Story?" Tigerclaw asked curiously, tipping his head.

Napoleon took a deep breath and began. "Life in the Rose Valley was lovely when I grew up. We all drank from the stream, we ate fruit from the trees, and we watched over all the other creatures. I was ignorant due to this upbringing, and I knew little of suffering. I was carefree, but then…" he shuddered. " _They_ came,"

"Who did?" Tigerclaw inquired, very interested.

"A colony of humans created a village near the Rose Valley," Napoleon explained, his voice laden with rage. "I had never seen humans before, so I knew not the destruction they could bring. Until one day, I was drinking by the stream with a herd of white deer when the hunters attacked. They shot at us, and one of the deer fell to the ground. I tried to heal the deer, but one of the hunters mistook me for a white horse and tried to catch me. I attacked him and escaped, but my sister wasn't so fortunate," he swallowed thickly, his eyes shifting off to the distance. "The hunters got her the next day. This time, I actually killed one of them. I was so angry, but then I realized something. I realized the root of all the problems we faced—the problems the animals in the valley faced and the problem all creatures face: _man,_ "

Tigerclaw thought about this. "Man? You mean the normies?"

Napoleon nodded. "Yes, that's what you call them. After I figured out that humans were the prime cause of unhappiness, I set out to figure out how to exterminate them. I met a witch named Cierce, a woman cast out from her human civilization for her unusual green skin and supernatural abilities, and together we worked to stop humanity. We first began by turning humans into different animals, but as time passed, we took a more serious approach. We helped start wars in hopes of helping human kingdoms wipe out themselves, we created plagues, we started famines and droughts, and we helped unite others like us into a group. But then, our lives took a turn when an assassin discovered me and tried to murder me. His attempt was unsuccessful, for Cierce rescued me by changing my form to distract the assassin. Afterwards, the assassin was fed to our lions. Then, I was human, but I used my form to my advantage, and I married Cierce. Though, I was not happy, and soon I realized that I'd succumbed to the ways of man. I left for new lands the night after Cierce told me she was pregnant, and I never saw her again. I heard she had a daughter from me, and that the girl went on to be a popular performer,"

"Wait," Tigerclaw cut in, trying to process everything he was hearing. "I have a sister?!"

"You do," Napoleon said, nodding sadly. "She's older than your own mother, but perhaps you can find her one day,"

Tigerclaw allowed all he'd heard to process, and a feeling of outrage rose up in him. "How could you!?" Tigerclaw asked sharply, angry. "You hurt so many people just because you were hurt!"

"You poor, delusional child," Napoleon sighed, clicking his tongue. "Humans are worthless. We are better off without them,"

"But you're human!" Tigerclaw protested.

"That I am," Napoleon answered simply. "But I was born a unicorn, so therefore I am a unicorn,"

On the verge of tears, Tigerclaw turned away from his father and crossed his arms. "You killed innocent people," Tigerclaw choked. "You probably killed kids, kids just like me!"

"Those children who got in the way were not like you!" Napoleon snapped suddenly, his voice hard and stern. "All humans are worthless, and they all must die!" when Tigerclaw began to sniffle, Napoleon sighed and tried to hold his son in his arms. But this time, Tigerclaw avoided him. Napoleon's voice softened. "Come to me, my son. Come be just like me- learn what I have learned and do what I have done! Carry out my legacy, and please do not be bitter towards me," he placed a hand on Tigerclaw's shoulder. "I love you, my son."

Tigerclaw turned towards his father, and he broke down into tears. Napoleon scooped up the sobbing werekitten and held him close, simply rocking him in his arms. Tigerclaw, however, felt terribly confused.

The fire was beginning to die when Ms. Applegate returned to her guests.

"Eris!" she scolded at the vampire woman, approaching and pushing her away from the children. "What did I tell you about scaring our guests!?"

Eris pouted, crossing her arms and sighing. "Whatever,"

Ms. Applegate straightened herself out, brushing some hair away from eyes. "Never mind that. Where is the Demon of Sanmaurkan?" When Eris just stared blankly, Ms. Applegate let out an exasperated sigh. "Naturally, I have to do everything myself. Eris, stay with the children, and make sure none of them leave. The demon might try to eat them," Ms. Applegate turned the knob of the door and exited into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

Eris was alone with the children once again, and this time her eyes focused on Valentina. A smile formed on Eris' lips, and she began to move towards the girl.

"Are you Valentina?" Eris inquired, leaning down and getting face to face with Valentina.

Scared and confused, Valentina nodded. "Y-yes, ma'am,"

Eris looked her over, and a frown became present on her lips. "Hmph. You're skinnier than I pictured. You see, Valentina— _I'm_ the sole reason you were born,"

"What?" Valentina asked, feeling quite perplexed.

Eris gave a curt nod. "Why, yes, you heard right. Without me, there's no you. Though," she wrinkled her nose. "I also didn't count on you being a girl," she then turned to Anne Marie, and her expression changed. "And aren't you Anne Marie?"

Anne Marie nodded quickly, but then she wanted to shift the subject. "Yeah—but, hey," she took the snow globe with the mountain inside down from the top of the fireplace and showed it to Eris. "Can you tell me where this mountain—"

"Better put that down, sweet pea!" Eris said sharply, making Anne jump. "Ms. Applegate doesn't like guests touching her snow globes. Leave it alone, sugar!" as Anne Marie set the globe back down, Eris then inquired, "What was it you wanted?"

Anne Marie took a deep breath. "Where is the brown, dusty mountain? The really tall one?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Eris sighed, shaking her head. "That place is off limits. I couldn't help you even if I knew,"

When Anne Marie tried to ask again, muffled voices became audible. It was Ms. Applegate, and she sounded like she was arguing with someone. However, whoever she was arguing with had a voice that was so strange-sounding that the children couldn't tell if it was male or female.

"Don't bring her in!" Ms. Applegate scolded angrily. "She has such a temper that she may bite through that muzzle!"

"She is quite controlled," the voice assured. "She will only bite on my command. And we may not need her, Aggravain,"

Ms. Applegate sighed. "All right, child-muncher. I need you to be on your best behavior— _both_ of you,"

The door swung open, and Ms. Applegate was followed in by a strange-looking creature. It appeared to be a cross between a clown and a reptile, for while the creature wore circus attire, it had long, scaly fingers with claws. As it entered the room, the claws retracted slightly. Clenched in the creature's hand was a leash, and as it entered the room, it became clear that a woman was being dragged in on the leash. The leash was hooked to a spiked collar around her neck, and her face was bound in a muzzle. Though, despite the muzzle, Anne Marie knew who it was: her former foster mother—Carlotta.

Ms. Applegate shut the door behind her and locked it with a little black key, which she then placed between her breasts. After she adjusted herself, she turned to the children.

"Children," Ms. Applegate gestured to the creature walking beside her. "This is Pennywise. They will help me today by giving you a few items. You see, there is something we must discuss with you,"

On the floor, Carlotta made a grunting noise, and Pennywise stepped on her hand and made her yelp. "Shut your mouth, whore," it hissed at her, and she fell silent again.

"You see children," Ms. Applegate shook her head sadly. "Nobody was…well, expecting you to show up to Limbo. It seems our dearest Napoleon and Jared bent my rules a bit and made contact with the outside world. Granted, this isn't the first time this has happened, but I don't want it to happen again. So," Ms. Applegate gestured to Pennywise, who handed her a small wooden box with an 'X' drawn on it. She then opened the box to reveal a collection of small bottles with no labels. "I ask you politely to drink these potions. You will stay here forever with us, for it is not advised that Earth dwellers switch between Earth and Limbo,"

Almost immediately after these words were spoken, Dodger burst into tears. "But I don't wanna stay here forever! I wanna go home! Please let me leave!" as he sobbed and sobbed, Ms. Applegate leaned over and pet his head.

"If you stay here," she said, now speaking in a sing-song tone. "You get to make all kinds of fun things, things that are much better than what your mommy and daddy could offer you. You can do whatever you want. Doesn't that sound nice?"

This didn't comfort Dodger, and he continued to cry. The children all glanced at each other in silence, until Icer inquired, "What's in the potion?"

Before Ms. Applegate could answer, Carlotta called up from where she lay on the floor. "It's poison," she rasped out. "They wanna kill you so you'll never leave. Don't-!" She never finished that sentence, for Ms. Applegate brought her foot down and smashed Carlotta's cheek with her heel. When Carlotta yelped in pain, Pennywise spit on her and Ms. Applegate laughed nervously.

"Don't listen to her! She's just crazy. Now," she held the collection of bottles up to the children. "Pick one,"

Anne Marie looked back at the snow globe, and she became filled with determination. Within a matter of seconds, she had a plan.

"Do you like to play games?" Anne Marie asked.

The room suddenly went silent. After a moment, Eris spoke up. "Everybody likes games,"

Anne Marie swallowed nervously, biting back her fear. "Well, how about we play a game? If we lose, we have to stay here,"

Ms. Applegate tilted her head, a bit skeptical. "And what kind of a game would this be?"

"We have to guess where our parents are," Anne Marie explained, feeling incredibly nervous. "And if we guess wrong, we have to drink those bottles and stay here. If we're right, we get to go and find our parents,"

Ms. Applegate exchanged glances with her companions, and she looked back at Anne Marie. "That sounds fair," she nodded. "So—where are they? Where are your parents? Produce them, children!"

Anne Marie arose, walking a few steps and rooting herself before Ms. Applegate, looking up into her eyes. There was a silence, and Anne Marie pointed to the door leading to the hallway. "They're behind that door, aren't they?"

Pennywise let out a laugh. "Oh, really?"

A smile spread across Ms. Applegate's face, and she strode over to the door. "They are, are they?" she pulled out the key from her cleavage and unlocked the door, turning the handle and opening it. After this was done, she turned back to the children with a maniacal smile. "You're wrong, sweetheart. They're not there," she picked up the box of potions once again. "Now you're going to stay with us— _forever!_ "

Anne Marie, however, had planned this, and she snatched the snow globe from the fire place. " _NO!_ " with a flick of her wrist, she smashed the glass of the snow globe on the stone of the fire place. As the liquid inside gushed on to Anne's fingers, Ms. Applegate gasped in horror.

" _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?_ "At this moment, the other children sprang up from the couch and ran through the open door, and Pennywise began to lunge for them. However, Ms. Applegate stopped it. "No! You deal with Anne Marie!" she knelt down and quickly unhooked Carlotta's leash and muzzle, releasing her. "Go after them!" Ms. Applegate demanded as Carlotta scurried down the hallway on all fours. When Carlotta was out of sight, Ms. Applegate's body seemed to fold, and she transformed into a crow and flew into the hallway as well.

The floor of the room seemed to collapse, and it soon became a giant spider web. Anne Marie tumbled down into the center of the web, shrieking in horror when she realized that her clothes were stuck to the web. As she tried to free herself, Eris pounced on her and held her down while Pennywise loomed over both of them.

"Clever girl," Pennywise grinned, displaying a row of yellowing teeth. "You'll fair well down here, I'm sure,"

At this moment, something collided with Pennywise and knocked it away, and Eris looked up in surprise. "Damien!? How long have you been here?"

A young, male vampire got Pennywise in a headlock, but the creature was too strong. It pushed the vampire off, directing the attention to him now and pinning him against the web. As this was happening, Anne Marie managed to free herself and started to climb up part of the web, but Eris grabbed her ankle and held her back.

"You are not leaving!" Eris hissed. "No one is leaving!"

Without warning, Damien punched Pennywise so hard that the creature propelled back to a far corner of the web, where it stuck there. Acting quickly, Damien shoved Eris away and snatched Anne Marie up and tossed her towards the door. Sophie was there almost instantly, and she caught Anne Marie in her arms and dashed away quickly.

Halfway down the hall, Sophie met with the older wolf from earlier, and she set Anne Marie on the floor.

"Where's Damien?" the wolf asked rather anxiously.

"Still back there," Sophie explained. "But, I think he can handle himself,"

Damien can running to them moments later, surprisingly without a scratch. "We gotta leave," he said urgently. "I wrapped Eris and the clown in pieces of the web, but they might break out of it soon!"

A shrill scream was heard from a separate wing, and Anne Marie recognized the scream as Valentina's. "My sister!" Anne Marie blurted out loud, and Sophie went to investigate.

Carlotta had the three children cornered, hissing at them and blocking their path. However, she made no move to attack them. After a few minutes, Carlotta's face seemed to crumble, and she shrunk back from them and on to the floor in a crying mess.

"Go," Carlotta sobbed, hiding her face. "That mountain isn't too far away, and that's where your parents are! Anne Marie made it possible for them to escape when she broke the snow globe! Go find them, and be strong!"

As the children watched her with perplexed gazes, Sophie ran in. She stopped when she saw Carlotta, but she ushered the children to the door nonetheless. "Come on, kids! Let's go!" as the children filed out, Sophie placed a comforting hand on Carlotta's shoulder. "Carlotta," she said softly. "Carlotta, it's not too late. Come on,"

"It is too late," Carlotta sniffed, making herself as small as possible and squishing herself into the corner of the room. "It's too late for me. Keep the children safe, Sophie," Sophie looked at her sadly and tried to persuade her again, but a crow's loud caw split the air. "Go!" Carlotta snapped. "Go, now!"

Obeying, Sophie turned away and ran after her group.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Finale (part one)

Time wasn't a concern anymore—or at least, this was Medusa's feeling. She didn't know how long they'd all been on the base of the mountain, but an anxious feeling was beginning to brew inside of her. Though she'd been concerned about the situation from the start, this feeling was different. She hated sitting on the dusty rocks of the mountain, she hated hearing her granddaughters complain, and she hated seeing her son get a little too friendly with the vampire that had accompanied them. She hated everything at this moment. She just wanted to leave.

Ramses and Jared were gone. No one had seen them leave, for they left silently and unannounced, presumably to cure Jared of his curse. Morgana didn't seem to be helping anyone, for she mostly just paced around and muttered to herself while sometimes stopping to amuse the children. Everything seemed hopeless, like this was where they'd be for the rest of eternity. However, something happened.

The sound of thunder crackled overhead, and Medusa looked up in surprise along with the others. Lightning flashed across the skies in shapes that almost looked like the cracks on glass, and it began to rain. This got Morgana's attention, and this was when she began to herd the group together.

"Here!" Morgana called, gathering everyone beneath a small cave in the mountain. "Come in here, you'll stay dry," when everyone was settled, Morgana ventured back out into the rain. Fully irritated, Medusa followed.

"You!" Medusa snapped, stopping Morgana. "Where are you going!?"

Morgana turned to her, slightly amused. "How now? You don't mind getting wet?"

"Of course not,"

"Well, what's the issue?"

The thunder crashed in the air above them, though it did not seem to faze Medusa. "Who are you?" she demanded to know. "What is this place, and why are you just wandering about?"

Before anything else could be said, the sounds of voices soon reached the ears of both women. They looked behind them to see that a group was emerging from the distance, soaked in the rain. As they got closer, Morgana ran to them.

"Why are you all the way out here?" Morgana asked in surprise, ushering the children close to her. "There are plenty of other places where you could've stayed dry!"

"The only house these kids came across was Ms. Applegate's," Sophie explained, looking around a bit anxiously in the rain. "Is there anyone else with you?"

Morgana led the group to the cave, and the children caught sight of their parents. This was quite a noisy reunion, for the first to see his father was Dodger, who made a loud noise that was somewhere between a banshee scream and a horse whinny as he leapt up and into Clawd's arms, nearly knocking him over. The adults were shocked to see the children, for they knew not where they came from or why they were there.

"Why did you come looking!?" Valentine demanded, nearly sobbing as he kissed and kissed his two daughters. "We would've been fine, my darlings! Oh—I should punish you! But, I can't. I'm so happy you're all right!"

As Heath removed his jacket and wrapped it around Icer's shoulders to help dry him off, Icer raised his hand and pointed to the adults standing in the entrance of the cave. "Dad," Icer tugged on Heath's sleeve. "Those are the ones who helped us!"

Heath glanced towards the three adults, and he nearly did a double take. He could hardly believe what he was seeing, and when he made eye contact with Sophie, she quickly ducked her head down and did not look at him.

A silence soon filled the cave. These three individuals were well known among the circle of friends, all for different reasons. Sophie was always talked down about in the group as the accomplice of Harmony's murderer, but she was also sometimes the butt-end of morbid jokes. This was due to the fact that she died from getting her face smashed into a TV, making her face almost unrecognizable to her distraught family members. Upon seeing her for the first time since a newspaper article showed a rather unflattering photo of her, Deuce now felt guilt welling up inside him for giggling slightly at Cleo's morbid joke about this woman ( _"The last time I saw a nose job that bad, it was Sophie Parker's! Ha, ha,"_ ).

Damien was also well known among the group, but he was remembered in another way. Whenever Damien was brought up in a conversation within the group, a sort of awkward silence would follow (especially if Clawd was present). Damien was always remembered as 'the boyfriend of the girl Clawd killed' or 'that guy who shot Eris'. It had been so long that they'd actually forgotten his name, but they saw him now, and now they knew his name.

The werewolf, Aidan Flanagan, was not remembered fondly by anyone except Felicity and a select few of the wolves. Whenever Flanagan was recalled, everyone pictured the raving werewolf priest, who was estimated to have killed over 50 vampires throughout his lifetime, and each case went unreported. The older wolves knew him as the one who married Promise, a lovely she wolf who died too early and eventually led to Aidan's madness. When Clawd thought about Flanagan, the scar from his stab wound would began to hurt again, and memories of the fight outside the church would appear. Yet, the sopping wet wolf standing in the entrance of the cave seemed very different from the crazed, delusional wolf who attempted to murder Valentine and had already murdered many other vampires. As Flanagan's eyes met with Clawd's from across the cave, an uncomfortable feeling settled between the two, and Flanagan looked away, his eyes becoming downcast.

A pause had drifted into the air, and Morgana broke it after a few moments. "From what I understand, you're all familiar with one another?"

"Yes," Heath nodded, putting an arm around Icer and keeping him close. "We are," he looked straight at Sophie, and a slight glare formed in his eyes.

When Sophie continued to avoid his gaze, Icer gave his father a rather cross look. "Dad, come on! She helped us, so you should say 'thank you',"

Heath tried to protest, but his words failed him and he sighed. He glanced over at Sophie once again, giving her a nod. "Thanks, Sophie. I'm glad you helped the kids,"

Sophie looked up, rainwater coating the lenses of her glasses and her hair. She gave a soft smile after a few moments. "You're welcome,"

As Dodger finally calmed down and pressed his face into his father's shoulder, Clawd glanced up at Flanagan once again. This time, Flanagan gathered his courage and walked straight up to Clawd, planting his feet right beside him. When Clawd just stared silently, Flanagan could no longer stand it and he began to break down emotionally.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you!" Flanagan sobbed, covering his face and turning away. Clawd reached out almost immediately and rubbed the older wolf's shoulder in attempt to comfort him.

"Don't cry," Clawd said gently. "Come on, don't beat up yourself up over it, it's not going to change anything,"

Flanagan wiped at his eyes, his sobs quieting a bit. "Am I really forgiven?" he inquired, swallowing hard.

Clawd smiled at him, patting his shoulder. "Of course. Isn't that what were supposed to do?"

Nodding, Flanagan suddenly broke down again, and this time Clawd arose and gave him a hug. Dodger didn't understand what was happening, but he just watched and waited patiently until they broke away. As Flanagan dried his eyes, Clawd couldn't help but notice Damien leaning up against the wall of the cave watching them.

After an awkward moment of eye contact, Clawd spoke up. "I'm sorry, Damien,"

Damien said nothing, and he turned away and stared out at the falling rain. After a few moments, he wiped at his eyes, and all was forgiven.

Just as everyone was calming down, Morgana suddenly spotted something off in the distance, and she sprinted outside the cave and into the rain. Medusa, not knowing what else to do, followed her, and soon found her face to face with a horrible creature.

"You stay away from these children, Pennywise!" Morgana hissed, her eyes scrunched into a glare.

The creature slid its scaly hand up Morgana's chest, grazing its claws against her skin. "What can you do to me?" it snickered, grinning at her. "You are nothing but the sister of some poor fool. You are nothing to me, woman!"

Morgana thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small, metal box with a 'P' on the front. Acting quickly, she opened the box and shouted a chant:

" _Demon, demon, standing tall_

 _Its time you made your final fall!_

 _Creature of Hell, like vile pox,_

 _I banish with Pandora's Box!_

 _Now, go away and leave my sight_

 _And take with you your endless night!"_

At once, the box began to glow, and Pennywise let out a deafening screech and leapt for Morgana. The box glared brighter and brighter until Pennywise's body seemed to pleat, and it was soon sucked within the box. The lid of the box slammed shut, and Morgana cautiously picked it up. The box twitched a few times, and then became still.

The rainfall seemed to ease, and Medusa took this moment to approach Morgana. "Care to explain how Pandora's box came into your possession?" Medusa inquired, almost irritated.

"A lot of things come into my possession," Morgana explained hastily, putting the box back into her pocket. "Now, I'm going to need to banish the box somewhere, but it has to be somewhere where the demon can't hurt anyone!" she began to mutter to herself, wandering off. Angered, Medusa followed close behind. Yet, neither got very far.

Inside the cave, a loud roaring sound rang outside, and little Dusa hid herself in her father's chest, whimpering. Her sister, Viper, patted her back gently. "It's okay, Dusa. It's just thunder!"

The roar was heard again, and this time Sophie looked outside the cave. "Uh oh!" she exclaimed, and Damien went to join her.

"What? What is it?" he looked out, too, and his eyes went wide. "Shit! It's a dragon!"

Deuce stood up quickly and ran to look, and sure enough, Cladwell was flying up above in dragon form. He spit fire up in the sky, turning and flying straight towards them. However, Morgana intervened once again.

She shot a beam of light at him, and he came tumbling to the ground. For a moment, he lay motionless as Morgana approached, but he then began to fold his wings over himself. He seemed to shrink after doing this, and soon he was back in human form.

"I thought she killed you, Cladwell," Medusa sighed, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "You should have stayed dead,"

Cladwell's eyes slowly opened and met with Medusa's, and a low growl rose up from his throat. " _You_ should have stayed dead. Perseus would have ended you for good if it hadn't been for your sisters and that 'Essence of Anubis'!"

"If I'd died then," Medusa hissed, coming face to face with Cladwell. "You never would have met me,"

"I wish I'd never met you!" Cladwell snapped, full of fury. "You took everything from me— _YOU RUINED MY LIFE!_ "

" _I DID NOT! YOU ONLY THINK I DID!_ "

Hating the sound of his mother's screaming, Deuce intervened and stood between Cladwell and his mother. "Calm down! Please—can you tell me what's going on!?"

Medusa and Cladwell exchanged glances, and Cladwell slowly raised a finger to point at Deuce. "Just tell me one thing, Medusa," he seethed, his voice shaking. "Is this…is this him?"

Medusa gave a nod. "Yes. Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what!?" Deuce demanded angrily. "What are you talking about!?"

A hush fell over them, and Medusa reached forward and stroked Deuce's cheek with the back on her hand, just like she did when he was little. "Deuce," she took a deep breath, pulling him close. "Allow me to introduce you to Drákon Cladwell— _your father_ ,"

" _WHAT!?_ "

Until this moment, Deuce knew virtually nothing about his father. All he knew of was what happened—Medusa met a young man at a beach, and he introduced himself as an artist. He complemented her beauty, though Medusa knew he was only flattering her. They liked each other all right, and the man would visit her every day to bring her lunch (at the time, Medusa was living in an abandoned lighthouse on the beach, isolated from everyone else).They developed a good friendship, but soon that friendship began to change. It changed the moment the man presented Medusa with a large, detailed sculpture of herself, and Medusa was touched by his devotion. Nobody had ever treated her like this, and she felt very pleased. He took her into his home, where they began to live together. Everything was fine, and everything was beautiful. They loved each other, and it wasn't long before Medusa began to bring up marriage in their conversations. However, their lives took a turn before they could marry.

For years, the man had been trying to get into a very competitive art school with a close group of friends. He would work day and night, studying and practicing and painting everywhere just to increase his chances of being chosen. Medusa hated to see him go without sleep or work himself to the bone just for a school, but she said nothing because she knew he wanted it so much. Finally, all his hard work paid off, and he began attending college. He'd go to school while she sold makeup and a department store, and when he'd come home, she'd fix dinner and the rest of the night would be there's. But one evening, he decided to invite some of his friends over for dinner, and that was when things took a turn for the worse. His friends weren't happy with the fact that he'd settled with a monster woman, and they tried desperately to get them to break up. When their attempts proved unsuccessful, they took a different approach. At an art festival, they sent a bright yet clumsy student to present Medusa with the man's award, and they purposely made the student knock over some pottery right next to where Medusa was standing. Startled by the sudden noise, Medusa had leapt in fright and, acting on impulse, removed her glasses to petrify the young student. Those at the festival were horrified, and Medusa was driven from the event. After this, the man received an angry complaint from his headmaster, instructing him to never bring Medusa to a festival again.

Medusa and the man began to experience some relationship issues after the whole ordeal. However, when Medusa revealed that she was pregnant, it looked like their relationship would improve and that they might even get married. Alas, this was not the case, for one day he returned with his hands soaked in blood, screaming at Medusa that it was all her fault. At the school, he'd gotten into an argument with his friends over Medusa, and it had escalated dramatically. He'd fatally stabbed one of his friends, and he fled the scene before the authorities could catch him. He blamed the whole incident on Medusa, and he insulted and belittled her for hours as he washed his hands clean and packed his bags. Medusa begged him not to go, but he did not listen to her. He walked out the door and she never saw him again.

Here they were now—twenty five years later. Cladwell didn't look that much older (as he was eighteen when they met), and Medusa had hardly changed. Once lovers, now enemies, they faced each other as their son realized the truth.

Deuce just stared at Cladwell opened mouthed. "But…you—you're my father!?"

Cladwell glared at him. "It would seem that way, but I have no feeling of pride for you. Just like your mother, you took something very precious from me—Maggie!"

"Wait," Deuce thought this over. "That means—oh, God! Maggie was my sister! Oh, and she tried to have sex with me!"

When Medusa made a disgusted gagging noise, Cladwell became irate. "I don't care if she slept around and did what she did! I don't care about anything she did—she was my daughter and—!" his voice broke, and his head dropped. "…I loved her. _So_ much," he turned away a bit and covered his face with his hand, hiding his emotion. Upon seeing this, Medusa took a step forward.

"You favored her because she was normal," Medusa stated thickly. "All you wanted in the world was to appear normal, so that was why you blamed me for all your problems. I'm not normal, but neither are you, and I highly doubt your daughter was either,"

At this moment, Cladwell flared up again, staring defiantly into Medusa's face. "All everyone could see in me was a monster!" he shrieked. "But that's not what I am! I only wanted to fit in, but you took that from me! And you," he turned to Deuce, his face full of rage. "You are my crime! I knew if I had you around, you would cause more issues for me and make me look worse! You are a mistake—do you hear me!? _A MISTAKE!_ "

The rain had stopped. The storm was over, but another storm was brewing, and the others who had emerged from the cave were beginning to realize that.

As Cladwell hid his face once again, Morgana approached and touched his shoulder gingerly. "It isn't too late, Cladwell," she said softly. "You don't have to fit in with the humans. Fit in with them," she gestured to the group. "They're all monsters, and they're all proud of who they are. Can't you be the same way?"

Cladwell fell silent, but he soon became alive with rage. " _YOU WANT ME TO BE A MONSTER!?_ " He screamed, his teeth sharpening rapidly into fangs. " _THEN I'LL BE ONE!_ "

Before anyone could react, Cladwell's wings burst forth and he shot into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. Morgana looked up in alarm, her face twisting into fear.

"Oh, no," she breathed. "No—it can't be!"

"What's wrong?" Medusa asked, feeling confused by everything.

Morgana began to pace around, clutching the sides of her head while grimacing. "The barrier between Earth and here has been broken! I don't know how, but it has! Now that he's flown off, Cladwell could wreak unspeakable havoc upon Grand Island! And not just him—anyone trapped here!"

"Well," Deuce chewed on his lip, trying to think. "What could we do?"

Morgana thought for a moment, and then she ushered the others over to where she was standing. "Come on, now" She said anxiously. "I have a plan, but it will only work if everyone cooperates! So, listen closely,"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Finale (part 2)

As a search party looked high and low for the missing children and adults, Jackson stayed with his son at the hospital lounge area while Frankie stayed with Abbey and Flarah to keep them calm. In the meantime, Jackson watched as Jonathan built a stack of blocks and promptly knocked it over again.

"There it goes!" Jonathan squealed as the blocks tumbled on the carpet. Jackson smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Yeah, there it goes," he chuckled, gazing down into his little boy's eyes. As Jonathan collected the blocks to build another tower, Jackson noticed someone sitting in another chair a few feet away. Gleefully, he realized that it was Chanticleer, and he got up to greet him. "Hey, Chanticleer!" he smiled, shaking the vampire's hand. "How's it going?"

Chanticleer nodded with a smile. "Better! Henry's in the therapy room right now, and he's gotten some of his strength back. I can only pray that he never goes through that kind of pain again," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, pulling up a picture and turning the screen towards Jackson. "Our son is also getting treatment. My blessed Hayden was so hungry when they brought him in, and he drank two whole bottles of milk!" The picture on the screen showed the tiny baby from earlier, wrapped in blue and sucking on a pacifier while a hand stroked the little face (judging by the black fingernails, the hand belonged to Henry). "He's such a cherub," Chanticleer sighed, smiling warmly. "And at the moment, it seems like he's going to get better, but we can only hope,"

"Well, congratulations—he's beautiful!" Jackson studied the picture for a few more seconds, and he turned back to Chanticleer. "What did you say his name was?"

"His name is Hayden," Chanticleer explained, gazing back at the picture. "Hayden Lyle Washington. Henry chose the name, and I really do quite like it," He smiled down at Jonathan, who'd trotted over to investigate. "Why, hello, little one! How are you?"

"Good, thank you," Jonathan replied shyly, pressing close to his father.

Jackson rubbed his son's shoulder and gestured to Chanticleer's phone. "Jonathan, do you wanna see a picture of a baby?"

When Chanticleer turned the screen towards Jonathan, Jonathan tipped his head to the side curiously. "What's that?"

"A baby," Chanticleer answered.

Jonathan stared at the picture silently, and then he looked up at his father. "Can we get one, Daddy?"

Jackson couldn't help but chuckle at the question. "Oh, gosh! Well, let me ask your mom, okay?"

When Chanticleer covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, something outside the window caught little Jonathan's attention. "Daddy, look!" he scampered to the big, glass window, looking outside and pointing at something. Jackson tried to see what he was looking at, but he didn't see anything.

"What is it, Jonathan?" Storm clouds were gathering, so Jackson figured that maybe that was what little Jonathan was noticing.

However, this wasn't the case. "Right there! See? Airplane!"

"Airplane?" Jackson looked out the window, and sure enough, something was gliding up above. As the object got lower and lower to the ground, Jackson began to realize that this wasn't a plane after all. His fear was confirmed when the plane flapped its wings and spit forth a lake of flames. "It's a dragon!" Jackson exclaimed in shock, grabbing Jonathan protectively in his arms as the creature soared right past the window, dangerously close to the glass. As it disappeared from father and son's view, there was a deafening crash and a chorus of car alarms.

Jonathan cried out in fear and clapped his hands over his ears. "So loud!"

"Yeah," Jackson fearfully pressed his son close, moving away from the window quickly. "Come on, let's go find mom!"

Outside, the people of Grand Island screamed in shock as a colossal dragon spewed flames into the sky and shattered the windows of different buildings with a thick, bristly tail. After taking a deep breath, the creature got on all fours and began to roam around, growling and hissing loudly.

Police cars swarmed around the massive creature, but it just knocked them over with a large, clawed paw and roared a brash roar that spilt the air.

Farther away and unnoticed by the frightened masses, a gust of wind began to blow in a spiral shape near a building. Sparks flickered, and there was a flash of light. In an instant, Morgana stood in unicorn form with Deuce, Valentine, Heath, Medusa, Clawd and all the children behind her.

"Get them to a safe place!" Morgana ordered, turning her hooves to the west and galloping towards the dragon.

When Deuce gently pushed the children towards Medusa, Medusa refused them. "No!"

"But-!" Deuce started to argue, but Medusa quickly silenced him.

"He's your father, and the two of us will stop him together!" She snatched up his wrist and led him to where Cladwell was attacking, leaving the children with the other adults.

The dragon, realizing that Morgana was coming after him, beat his wings viciously hissed at the unicorn. Morgana shot a beam of light at him, but he dodged it and charged at her. He didn't get very far, for a stone struck him on the shoulder and made him stop in his tracks. With a snarl, he turned and saw Medusa standing right below him with a collection of stones in her hand.

"Come and get me, Cladwell!" she taunted, flicking her wrist to remove her glasses. Much to her dismay, Cladwell was not turned to stone, and his attention was now focused on her. When Deuce saw this, he knew he had to act quickly. He leapt on some apartment stairs leading to a window, and once he reached the top, he took a deep breath and jumped off.

When Deuce landed on the dragon's back, he began to rethink his decision. As a dragon, Cladwell was uncomfortably warm, scaly, and foul-smelling, but Deuce tried not to think about those things as he reached forward and yanked on one of Cladwell's back spines, making him shriek.

The dragon twisted his neck behind himself, trying in vain to snap the large jaws at Deuce. Deuce yanked on the spine again, and this time, Cladwell flew into the air and tried to throw Deuce off of him, but Deuce kept his grip. When Morgana realized that Cladwell was completely occupied with trying to toss the gorgon off of his back, she took this as an opportunity and shot a beam of light in his direction. She was successful this time, and the beam of light struck Cladwell right in the eye.

Deuce let out a yell of surprise when Cladwell suddenly tumbled and began to fall. As the dragon hit the ground with a slam, his neck got tangled in the telephone wires. Shaken terribly, Deuce slid off of Cladwell's back and watched as he writhed among the wires and gagged. After several minutes, Cladwell freed himself, but he was not fortunate. One of the poles collapsed, and a large piece of sharp metal came plummeting down upon Cladwell. The metal sliced his neck clean, and he let out a gasp. The dragon stumbled aimlessly, coughing blood and darting into the air.

The moments passed, and Medusa watched as her former lover dropped straight out of the sky and into the water of the beach a few miles away. The water shot up into the air and dropped back down with a splash as the dragon hit the water—it was quite a sight.

Both Medusa and Deuce got to the beach before any police cars or anyone else, just in time to see Cladwell in his last moments.

He had been washed up on the beach in his human form, weak from exhaustion and blood loss. As Deuce and Medusa approached, Cladwell flickered his eyes open to gaze up at both of them.

"Drákon," Medusa said softly, kneeling down and putting a hand on his cheek. "I'm here,"

Drákon looked like he wanted to speak, but he was unable to do so. His body jolted a few times as he desperately tried to breathe, but he gave up, and his son and ex-lover had to watch as the life drained from his face.

Medusa rose up slowly, turning away and leaving Cladwell's body in the moist sand of the beach. "Come on now, Deuce," she said, her voice quivering. "Let's get you back home,"

Deuce, however, did not move. He could do nothing but stare into the face of his father, a man he'd always dreamt of meeting. Even after he learned the story of why his father left, Deuce had always wanted to meet him and tell him everything. He'd always think about how it wasn't fair that his father was never around to play games with him, cheer him on, teach him to drive, or do anything else fathers did with their sons. Deuce always though that he'd take great comfort in at least meeting his father, but now that comfort lay dead before him. He wished desperately that things could be different, yet they never would be. His own father died hating him and considered him a mistake, and this thought soon became so painful that Deuce stooped down and took his father into his arms, kissing his forehead and beginning to weep.

Seeing this, Medusa came by and stood over her son, placing a hand on his shoulder and keeping it there. They remained this way for several moments, until the sun began to set and the authorities arrived.

Toralei Stripe watched as police officers and hospital workers tried to calm everyone down, but she was too nervous about her own child to worry about the Grand Island residents' problems. She'd told an officer that her son was missing, but he was so occupied with everyone else that he must have forgotten about her.

She was just about to go try and find Tigerclaw herself when she was approached by someone she didn't expect to see.

Toralei's mouth hung open as she realized that the stranger standing beside her was Napoleon.

"Hello," Napoleon greeted quietly, and he turned briefly to look behind himself. Morgana stood a few feet away, and she gestured for him to keep speaking. "You probably don't want to see me, but," he lifted up part of his robe, and little Tigerclaw scurried out towards his mother. Toralei snatched him up right away, pressing him close and hissing at Napoleon.

"Stay back!" she seethed, her fur standing on end. "Don't come any closer!"

Napoleon took a step back, but his eyes met with Tigerclaw's. "My son," he said in a quiet voice. "Don't forget me. Please, _never_ forget me!" with this, he turned away and disappeared into the shadows.

Toralei squeezed her son tightly, and Tigerclaw pulled away a bit to look at her. "Mom, are you crying?" he asked, reaching up and placing a fuzzy paw on her cheek.

"What?" she wiped her eyes roughly, shaking her head. "No—of course not!" she giggled, and the two laughed together and hugged, illuminated by the street lights.

As Napoleon and Morgana walked away together, Napoleon gave his sister a glare. "Why did you make me do that!?" he snarled. "He's my son!"

"He is," Morgana nodded. "And that's why I don't want him around you. You'll only fill his heart with hate," she grasped her brother's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Come on now," her voice softened. "Come stay with me, just like you did when we were children. We have unfinished business, my brother,"

And just like that, they turned to their unicorn selves and galloped away, vanishing into darkness.

The next day, the group of friends decided just to stay in their cottages to recover from everything. The vacation plan that Cleo had created was for eight days, and it had already been just five days. So, this was the day that the children would take naps and watch TV while their parents just took a break from everything. Unfortunately for Valentine, he wouldn't be getting a break from worries on this day.

as Valentine poured himself a glass of wine, he got a phone call from a number he didn't recognize. He didn't answer it, for he figured it was probably a telemarketer. Yet, when the same number called again, Valentine couldn't help but feel compelled to answer.

"Hello?"

A female's voice simply replied, "Hey,"

This made Valentine slightly uncomfortable. "W-who is this?"

The voice sharpened. "It's Naomi, you idiot!"

"Oh…hello, Naomi. What is it?"

There was a pause, and Naomi took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, and it's yours,"

Valentine's face fell. "W…what?"

"You heard me!"

"B-but-!" Valentine ran a hand through his hair, trying to comprehend everything. "You're sure it was me?!"

Naomi sighed. "You're the only one I was with. Now, look—I'm in a bad money spot right now, so I can't have a kid around. But, I also can't pay for an abortion, so it looks like you have to raise it,"

Valentine fell silent, sinking into a nearby chair. "Naomi," he said finally. "I already have two kids!"

"Another one wouldn't kill ya," Naomi smacked her lips (for it was clear she was eating something during this conversation), and continued. "And you're rich, too! You'll be okay, right?"

"Children are a big responsibility, Naomi!" Valentine protested. "What about adoption?"

"You mean—you don't want your own kid!?"

"Naomi-!" Valentine growled under his breath, and he could almost see the 'puppy dog eyes' Naomi would be making if they were talking in person. "Naomi, I'm going to back to school soon so I can do something with my life, and I don't need a baby to be added into the equation right now!"

Naomi huffed. "You're so Goddamn selfish! How about you step up and be a father, dipshit!?"

Valentine was about to argue, but he couldn't find the strength to do so. "Just…let me think about it, okay?"

There was a silence, and Naomi disconnected.

Valentine set his phone down, sighing and shaking his head. "God help me," he muttered under his breath, resting his head in his hands.

Anne Marie noticed he was upset, and she walked right up to him. "You okay, Papa?" she asked, reaching up and putting her arms around his neck.

Valentine looked into her eyes—Jared's large, brown eyes—and he hugged her close. "I'm okay, darling," he gave her a kiss, and she kissed him back. "Guess what? You might have a brother or sister,"

Anne Marie's eyes went wide. "Are you pregnant?"

"What!?" Valentine burst into laughter. "Of course not!" right after he said this, there was a brief flash of panic when he realized that he and Deuce had not been protected when they did their deed. However, he tried not to think about this and continued. "There's an old friend of mine who wants to have me take care of a baby, but I still don't know if I'll do it or not,"

"I hope you do," Anne Marie smiled. "I've always wanted a little brother," with that, she slid off his lap and trotted away, leaving Valentine in the living room.

Valentine poured the rest of his wine into the glass and finished it off, sighing and walking into the kitchen.

 **Hello once again, my readers!**

 **I'm sorry this is so late—I've been really busy with school and it doesn't help that I just came down with yet another cold (I'm actually beginning to think I have the flu, but I'm not entirely sure).**

 **Guess what? There's only one more chapter left! Exciting, right?**

 **What did you think of this chapter? Do you think it wrapped up nicely? What do you think might happen next? Do you have any questions about the story at the moment? Let me know in your review!**

 **Until the next (and final!) chapter, my fellow monsters!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Endings

It was a rainy morning, which was surprising to the tourists. This was the first time during their stay that they'd woken up to bad weather. For the group of friends, this was their second to last day at the resort. They would leave the next day.

Despite the weather, Deuce and Cleo met with Ramses at their cottage for coffee. Jared was not present, for his blindness and muteness had not been cured, and Ramses felt it would be best for him to stay behind. However, this proved to be a poor decision.

As Cleo was right in the middle of a story about a cashier at a department store, Ramses' phone began to buzz. He held up a finger to pause her story, murmuring an apology as he answered the call. As he listened to what the caller had to say, his face grew pale and anxious.

"Are you sure?" he asked nervously, his body quivering. He paused, and he stood up quickly. "Thank you for alerting me!" with this, he shoved his phone in his pocket and hastily bid his hosts good-bye, leaving the cottage.

Cleo snorted contemptuously as he disappeared out the door. "What was that about? Careless fool,"

It was around noon that Ramses called Cleo and revealed all the details. A maid in Ramses' mansion had made it her job to clean all the windows, and this included the windows in the room Ramses had previously shared with Maggie (now, Jared). The maid tried to open the door, but it didn't budge. She tried again, and it became apparent that something was blocking the door. She fetched the cook, a strong and burly man, who managed to break the door down and push past the chairs that were blocking the entrance, and both became victims to a horrible sight. Hanging from the ceiling fan, blue-faced and choking, was Jared. The cook managed to save him, and he called both 911 and Ramses. Jared, on the other hand, gasped and sobbed that he didn't want to be saved, and he begged the cook to kill him. What The Master said would happen came true: while masked in silence and darkness, Jared mentally mended his grievances and suddenly became filled with remorse. The guilt was so painful and extreme that he felt he could not even continue living, and he decided he was finished.

Things got worse when Jared was rushed to the emergency room. Surrounded by doctors, he broke down and tried to slit his throat with a scalpel he'd snatched from a nurse, but the doctors wrestled it away from him. After this, they sedated him and promptly placed him in a room where they strapped his arms and legs to the bed. When Ramses came to see him, all Jared could talk about was how much he hated himself and how much he wanted to die. Ramses was heartbroken at seeing his lover like this, and he could do nothing but weep over the ordeal.

"It ruined him!" Ramses lamented. "He's not the same man he was! Oh, gods—all he ever does now beg me to kill him! I hate that 'Master'! I hate him with everything I have!"

Though Ramses hated what was happening to Jared, those who had suffered at his hands were actually quite relieved to see that he finally felt remorse and was being treated for his issues. Surprisingly enough, Heath admitted to Deuce that he actually felt bad for Jared.

"I don't know why, but I do," Heath confessed. "He hurt my family so much when he took my sister from us, but I feel _sorry_ for him! Why do I, though?"

Deuce thought about this as he and Heath sat out on the balcony of the beach restaurant, looking out at the ocean. "You know," Deuce spoke up finally. "Maybe you've forgiven him subconsciously. Like, maybe you don't realize that you have, but you did. Do you think you forgive him?"

Heath bit down on his lip in thought, turning away. After a moment, he concluded, "I think part of me forgives him, but the rest of me is still angry,"

Deuce smiled weakly at him. "Well, that's okay, too,"

It was about three o' clock in the afternoon when Frankie heard a loud knock on the cottage door. She went to answer it, and she was immediately greeted by a wide-eyed and enthusiastic John.

"Oh, it's wonderful!" John exclaimed, throwing his arms around Frankie. "Frankie, the most wonderful thing has happened!"

"What is it?" Frankie inquired, a little shocked at his zeal. "What happened?"

John released her from his grip, leaping up and down excitedly as Jackson entered the room to see what all the noise was about. "It's Tessa!" John clapped his hands together. "I think her condition's been cured!"

"You do?" Jackson asked in surprise. "How?"

After taking a deep breath, John finally calmed down enough to explain. "We found out that she's pregnant again, and when we took her to the doctor's this morning, the nurse said that her body fat increased by about 10 percent! Tessa gained weight! Oh, this is so exciting!"

Jackson reached in and shook his friend's hand. "Congratulations, man! I'm really happy for you,"

John's excitement was still unquenchable. "We should celebrate! Jackson—invite your friends to my place tonight. I'll cook dinner for all of you—we'll have a party! How does that sound?"

"Wonderful!" Frankie smiled. "That's sounds great. What time?"

"How does five thirty sound?"

Jackson nodded. "That sounds fine. I'll let the others know, okay?"

When Jackson alerted John a few minutes later that everybody in the group was coming, John panicked a bit. Apparently, he'd not counted on everybody showing up, and he did not have the resources or the time to cook meals for everyone. Due to this, John contacted a local restaurant and asked them to cater for the party. However, the food was wonderful, and the children were absolutely delighted to discover that the food had even come with a large package of Fourth of July sparklers.

The adults watched amusedly as the children ran around in the backyard, sparklers ablaze. Their shrieks of laughter and excitement almost made it seem like they'd totally forgotten about being trapped in Limbo and all the intense fear they'd experienced, and that now they were children once again.

"Look, Sirscha," Abbey said softly to her newborn, holding the baby up to show her Icer, who was trying to balance the sparkler on the tip of his nose. "Look at big brother, making fool of himself. It will fall, you see?"

Sure enough, the sparkler tumbled into the grass, setting it partially ablaze. Icer yelped in alarm, stomping on the fire in attempt to put it out, but he ended just spreading it and causing more of a problem than there had previously been. Just in time, Cricket rushed in with the garden hose and put the fire out, but he hosed down Icer for good measure.

When the other children laughed at the sight of poor Icer being soaked, Icer became extremely irritated with Cricket. "Tupaya bashka!" Icer shouted, running after Cricket. "Vot pochemu my ne mozhem imet' khoroshiye veshchi !"

"I'm sorry," Cricket replied, whipping around and spraying him with the hose once more. "I don't speak monkey!"

Icer flailed his arms and sputtered as the water pummeled him. "Stop spraying me, you dumb idiot!" Icer yelled finally, losing control and rushing towards Cricket when the water stopped.

Luckily for Cricket, Heath stepped in and scooped his soaking wet son up into his arms."All right, buddy, don't kill him!" Heath chuckled, watching his son struggle around and pout.

"Come on, dad! Dad—look! I'm all wet, now!"

At this moment, John rushed over and gently cuffed Cricket's ears. "What's your problem!? You big dummy! You don't spray other kids with the hose!" When Cricket looked up innocently and dropped the hose in the grass, John groaned. "Why you gotta be like that? Oh, well," He turned to Heath and handed him a small bathrobe. "Here—take one of Tessa's bathrobes. She never wears this one, and it should be about his size,"

Icer wrinkled his nose. "I'm not wearing a girl's bathrobe!"

"Well," Heath poked Icer's cheek. "Would you rather be wet and miserable?"

Icer considered his options, and he reluctantly took the bathrobe with a sigh.

"Good man," John nodded approvingly, and he turned to Cricket. "Now—say sorry to him!"

When Cricket rolled his eyes, John reached over and tugged on his ear. "Ow! Ugh—sorry for spraying you,"

Icer didn't reply, and he stalked off with the bathrobe with Heath following close behind. When they'd disappeared inside the house, Tessa approached her husband and son.

"Hey, babe," John greeted, giving his wife a kiss. "I just let that kid wear one of your bathrobes—I hope you don't mind. How are you feeling?"

Tessa looked as though she'd seen a ghost. Her eyes were wide and she was quivering slightly. "I'm f-fine,"

John quirked an eyebrow and drew her close. "You don't seem fine,"

"There's someone hear to see you!" Tessa blurted out suddenly, gesturing to the garden.

Confused, John turned away and went to investigate. As he stepped on the green grass lining the flowers, he looked up to see the last person he expected to see.

John's mouth fell open, and he took a step back. After some time, he stepped forward again and blinked a few times to make sure he was still awake. He was, and he could not find any words to express his shock. Finally, Damien broke the silence with a laugh.

"It's good to see you again, buddy!" He grinned, grabbing John's hand and giving it a squeeze. This was all the confirmation John needed, and he tackled Damien into the grass.

"You bastard!" John sobbed, hugging Damien so tightly he might as well have been strangling him. "You stupid bastard, you! Oh, God!" he didn't ask how this was possible, for he was just overjoyed to see his friend.

Moments later, they'd calmed down, and John took Damien and Jackson inside the house for some drinks.

"I just don't understand," John shook his head as he cracked open some vodka. "How are you here? How are you alive?"

Damien just shook his head. "I'm not alive. I'm still dead,"

"But how are you here?" Jackson asked, cocking his head to the side. "Did you get resurrected like Jared?"

"No," Damien took a swig of his vodka, and he sighed at the taste. "God, I've missed this stuff," He set the glass back down and explained. "Ms. Applegate, the crazy broad who's been running my afterlife these past nine years, no longer has control of the place because she abused her power. Now, another woman named Morgana is in charge, and she's given me and some others permission to spend two weeks here on Earth. In two weeks, I have to go back,"

John processed this, and he smiled. "That's going to be the best two weeks ever, then," He squeezed Damien's hand. "I'm so glad you're here, buddy,"

Damien chuckled and drank down the rest of his vodka. "I'm glad to be back,"

"So, wait," Jackson thought about everything he'd just heard. "There's others here?"

Damien nodded. "Yep. Remember Flanagan—the werewolf priest? He's getting on the ferry tomorrow to go be with his daughter. There's a woman here who's going to find her brother—she was with me, I don't know where she went though. I, on the other hand, don't have any family I can hang out with. I only have you," he smiled at John once again, and he poured himself another glass of vodka.

Outside, Icer now wore a bright yellow bathrobe while his clothes dried, but he tried not to feel upset as he watched his baby sister nap on a blanket in the grass with Hayden, Henry's son, beside her.

"Is that your boyfriend, Sirscha?" Icer teased quietly, scooting a bit closer and stroking the heads of both babies.

"For shame!" Abbey scolded playfully. "Just born, she is, and you are already teasing! Naughty boy,"

Henry, who was sitting in a reclining lawn chair, grinned as Hayden rolled over and squeaked. "Do you like her, Hayden?" he inquired softly, scooping the tiny, skinny baby into his arms and holding him close. "You're such a sweetheart," he murmured, kissing him. "I love you so much, Hayden,"

At this moment, Chanticleer approached with a bowl of cheese potatoes and knelt down beside Henry, giving him a kiss. "Hello, love," Chanticleer greeted, gathering an abundance of cheese potatoes on a fork and lifting it to Henry's mouth. "I just heated these up for you. They're quite delicious, I think you'll like them,"

Henry grimaced at the potatoes. "I've eaten a lot today already,"

"Nonsense!" Chanticleer pushed the fork closer. "I plan to stuff you like a goose if need be! Now, eat up,"

As Henry reluctantly began to eat the potatoes, Valentine watched from a distance, startling a bit when Deuce came up behind him and tapped him lightly.

"You scared me!" Valentine pushed the gorgon away impishly, laughing when Deuce stuck out his tongue. "Stop it, you!"

"Okay, I'll stop," Deuce shook his head, exchanging a smile with the vampire. After a pause, Deuce's tone changed to a more serious one. "So, did you hear about what happened with Jared?"

Valentine nodded. "I did, yes,"

"And how do you feel?"

"How should I feel?" Valentine sighed, looking away.

Deuce shrugged. "Well, I don't know. I mean—are you glad he's being treated?"

"Yes," Valentine answered, turning back to Deuce. "I want to see him get better so he'll never hurt anyone else. I also just hope that, after his treatment, we can all just finally move on,"

Deuce nodded, understanding this. When he bushed Valentine's arm softly, Valentine retracted a bit.

"Look—Deuce," Valentine swallowed hard. "I think—have you made any efforts to leave Cleo?"

"I'm gonna try, okay?" Deuce assured. "I'm gonna try my best,"

Valentine's pink eyes glowed up at Deuce. "Promise me. _Please_ promise me you'll try,"

"I will," Deuce's voice softened. "You don't need to worry,"

He looked out into the streets on Grand Island as the sun was setting, and he saw Esmeralda a few miles off. She was doing her usual activity, which was eating branches, but she turned her head and just stared in Deuce's direction silently. Deuce stared right back, and a strange feeling came over him.

A vision flashed before his eyes of Cladwell, his father. Cladwell looked much younger, and he stared back at Deuce with sad eyes. Neither said anything, and after several moments, Drákon slowly faded away.

Had he become his father? _No_ , Deuce decided. Cladwell was filled with hate, though the one he hated the most was himself. Though he had flaws, Deuce knew that he could never hate himself, as Cladwell had. Yet, one thought persisted: if he left Cleo, would he become his own father to his daughters? No, of course not- that was silly.

Another thought came creeping along: was it real? Was any of what he'd experienced real? To Deuce, being in Limbo almost felt like some kind of dream, like it didn't really happen. But really- is anything real?

Deuce soon realized that Valentine had left, but he made no move to look for him. Instead, he looked towards the sunset, and he whispered one thing:

"I am real,"

 **...**

 **All right, so...that's it! Well, for this story, anyway. For the series? Nah! There's another story coming!**

 **But, to the present: how was this story in general? Did you think the ending wrapped up the loose ties or made new ones? Is there anything you're still confused about? And, finally, what do you want to see in the next story? Let me know in your review!**

 **Update on me: I'm much better than I was before, and I'm nearly done with school! I only have about twenty or so more days, and then I came write as much as I want! (after my Regents exams, of course...ach!)**

 **Until the next story, fellow monsters!**

 _Epilogue_ _:_

The radiator hummed quietly to itself in the neat and tidy office as Sonata shuffled through some papers. All was quiet, until the door opened.

Sonata looked up, and she puffed on her oak pipe. "Hello, Fritz. How was your prostitute?"

The tall, dark haired vampire groaned a bit and closed the door behind him. "She was mediocre. Anyway, I got the papers you wanted,"

He dropped a clutch of papers on her desk, and one of the papers included a photograph of two younger vampires: Gory and Bram.

"What did you want with those two, anyway?" Fritz inquired with a raised eyebrow. Sonata simply grinned, picking up the photograph as her yellow eyes gleamed.

"They have something I want. Now, get Jefferey," she blew a copious amount of smoke from her pipe through her sharp teeth. "And tell him to be _extra_ careful!"

 **(COMING SOON: THREE BLACK ROSES)**


End file.
